Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried. I really did. But I failed again.

I've had a goal to have only one chocolate chip cookie recipe in my repertoire but I JUST CAN'T STOP. Maybe it's the anticipation of eating cookie dough that lures me from one recipe to the next. Or maybe it's the idea that THIS recipe will be the one.  But each time I make a new recipe, I like it.

But, people, I really like this one. This is the type of cookie that will convert lovers of thick and chewy cookies to lovers of thin and chewy cookies with crispy edges (and, boy oh boy, are these feelings polarizing).

This is the cookie where you eat one slowly and with dignity...and then scan your surroundings to see if anyone is watching and then stuff three more in your mouth. 

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Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Canal House Cooks

10 oz (283g) unsalted butter, room temp
1¼ cups (298g) brown sugar
¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1¾ cups + 2 tbsp (265g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
8 oz (230g) chocolate chips

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until blended.

Whisk the flour and baking soda together then add to the dough, continuing to mix for 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a size 20 scoop, bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will look undercooked but once they have cooled fully (a few hours), they are perfect.

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Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have said this before but chocolate chip cookie dough is one of the best things on earth. [Side note: It's possible that I talk about cookie dough a lot. Perhaps too much. Perhaps I should find another hobby.] And while it may taste good from a tube (or bucket or sheet or however they sell it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) it tastes much better homemade and filled with good chocolate.

Please, don't skimp on the quantity or quality of the chocolate. You don't want this cookie to be like one of those couples who have issues before getting married but think a marriage license will fix it all. Nope, if you wouldn't eat that waxy chocolate before making the cookie, why would ever consider baking with it?

So do yourself a favor, go to a specialty kitchen store (or online) and buy yourself some Valrhona or Mast Brothers or Scharffen Berger or some other chocolate whose name is fun to say out loud.

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Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
from Smitten Kitchen

Make the cookies: Heat oven to 360°F and line a baking sheet with a silpat. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating until incorporated, and scraping down the bowl as needed.

Beat in salt fine sea or table salt and baking soda until combined, then the flour on a low speed until just mixed. Fold/stir in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop cookies into 1 1/2 tablespoon mounds (over-filled size 50 scoop) , spacing them apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a few flakes of sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes, until just golden on the outside but still soft inside.

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon (or, technically, 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon) fine sea or table salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 pound bittersweet/dark chocolate, cut into chunks (I used Mast Brothers)
Flaky sea salt, to finish (I use Maldon)

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies

I think that my life would be complete if I had the opportunity to eat chocolate chip cookie dough every 35 minutes. Actually, my life may be more complete if I simply did not think about eating cookie dough as often.

If you think about cookie dough as frequently as I do, I suggest heeding the following warning: turn away now...........from what you are doing and make these cookies. What is the alternative? Continuing to work on that boring excel spreadsheet and not make brownie cookies filled with cookie dough?

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Brownie Cookies with [egg-less] Cookie Dough Filling

Make the cookies: Combine butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool, ~10-15 minutes. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugars, eggs, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, fold and stir in melted chocolate mixture. 

Fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time just until combined. Chill dough about 45 minutes (until it holds it's shape), preheating oven to 325 degrees while it is chilling.

Using a size 100 scoop (~1 tbsp), scoop dough onto Silpat or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 9 minutes, cool on baking sheet for a minimum 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool. Once cool, sandwich with chocolate chip cookie dough.

Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars together on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and milk/cream and mix until combined. Whisk together flour and salt and add to mixer; beat until combined. Add chocolate chips.

Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Egg-less Cookie Dough
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz brown sugar (1/2 cup)
3.5 oz sugar (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 oz milk/cream
6 oz all purpose flour (1 1/3 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

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