Chocolate Chip Cookies
The definitive American cookie — crispy edges, chewy centers, pools of melted chocolate in every bite. Brown butter and resting the dough overnight are the professional secrets that elevate these to extraordinary.
Ingredients
- 230 gunsalted butter
- 200 gbrown sugar
- 100 ggranulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsppure vanilla extract
- 280 gall-purpose flour
- 1 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspfine sea salt
- 340 gdark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 tspflaky sea salt, for finishing
Method
- Brown the butter: melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam, then subside. Continue cooking until milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells like toasted hazelnuts, about 5–6 minutes. Pour into a large bowl immediately and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Add both sugars to the brown butter and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking for 30 seconds after each. Add vanilla and whisk until the mixture is smooth, pale and slightly thickened.
- Sift flour, baking soda and fine salt into the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. For bakery-quality cookies, cover the dough and refrigerate for 24–72 hours — the dough dries out slightly, concentrating flavors and producing chewier cookies.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into balls of about 50g each (roughly 2 tablespoons). Space 6cm apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look underdone and glossy — they firm up as they cool. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a few flakes of sea salt. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies will look soft but will set as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days — if they last that long.
FAQ
The most common causes are melted or warm butter, too little flour, or not chilling the dough. Use softened (not melted) butter and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Yes — scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2–3 extra minutes. Dough keeps for up to 3 months.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep the cookies soft. They also freeze well for up to 2 months.
Yes — replace each egg with one tablespoon of flaxseed meal mixed with three tablespoons of water (let it sit for 5 minutes). The texture will be slightly denser but still delicious.
Too much butter, not enough flour, or overly warm dough are the usual culprits. Chill the dough, ensure accurate flour measurement (spoon into the cup, don't scoop), and bake on a cool baking sheet.
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Comments (1)
This chocolate chip cookies rewards patience. The cooling or setting time is there for a structural reason — cutting corners creates a result that looks the same but tastes disappointing. Let it rest fully.