I love chocolate chip cookies, really love them. I am also impatient and forget to plan ahead. This is not a good mix for most of my chocolate chip cookie recipes, mainly because I always forget to soften the butter and try to rush it in the microwave. I won’t even get into my issues with the all butter vs. shortening dilemma. I think I have finally found the answer to my problem with a recipe that allows you to melt the butter. YES! As I read the recipe for the first time I grabbed my laptop and ran into the kitchen to get started. They passed my taste test and even got a nod from the husband. I think this will be a keeper. Enjoy friends.
P.S. Can you believe I forgot to take a picture of the final product? I will do better next time, promise.
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 18 large cookies.
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula.
