Basic Great Chocolate Chip Cookies
Try this Basic Great Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe or contribute your own.
Try this Basic Great Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe or contribute your own.
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter chopped
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons medium-grain kosher salt
- 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chopped
- flaky sea salt to finish
- Carbohydrate 25.1830703260743 g
- Cholesterol 36.9736904906423 mg
- Fat 17.6605012771027 g
- Fiber 1.10625531033648 g
- Protein 2.61937240101658 g
- Saturated Fat 10.9339834571845 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (64g)
- Sodium 66.3715598087166 mg
- Sugar 24.0768150157379 g
- Trans Fat 1.20505772444919 g
- Calories 261 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 360°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over the lowest heat possible, stirring occasionally.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and whisk in the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until just combined. Stir in the vanilla.
- Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir in the dry ingredients until barely blended. Stir in the chocolate.
- Refrigerate for 5 minutes then roll into 3 tablespoon balls and arrange on the prepared pans, leaving 3 inches between each cookie.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and bake until the tops are cracked and lightly golden, 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, the move to a wire rack to cool completely.
The Danger of Overmixing
Most home bakers overwork the gluten network when adding flour to cookie dough, yielding a tough rather than tender crumb. Stir the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt just until the dry pockets disappear. Using a silicone spatula helps fold the ingredients without developing excess elasticity. Chemical leaveners require proper distribution through the flour before liquid contact occurs, preventing uneven rising across the batch.Butter Temperature and Structure
Melting butter over the lowest possible heat alters the emulsion, driving off excess water and concentrating milk solids. Warm butter dissolves more sugar than cold fat, creating a dense structure that spreads into thin, crisp edges during baking. Whisking granulated and light brown sugars into the warm fat incorporates air gradually. Adding eggs individually ensures proper emulsification without breaking the fat suspension.Baking Dynamics
Baking at 360 degrees Fahrenheit provides immediate thermal energy for the leavening agents to react with the flour and sugar matrices. Rotating the rimmed baking sheets halfway through the ten to twelve minute window prevents hot spots in standard ovens. Chilling the dough balls for five minutes firms the butter just enough to control the initial outward spread. Unbaked portions can be shaped and frozen on parchment sheets for up to one month before direct oven transfer.
