No-Fuss Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Browned–butter chocolate chip cookies will always be a dear favorite, but they're a little time consuming. By the time you brown the butter, make the dough, and chill the dough, they become a project of several hours. Great for a special event, but not your everyday chocolate chip cookie. With that in mind, I set out to create the best "bakery style" chocolate chip cookie recipe. I wanted something classic, one bowl, not too sweet, and maybe a little better than your grandma's.

The original recipe is from Allrecipes, and I made them at Lake George, when I didn't want to use all the dishes the browned–butter cookies require. They were decent, but a little too sweet. They also didn't brown as nicely as I wanted. I only had bittersweet chips on the island, and I determined that they were too bitter for my liking.

To combat the over–sweetness, I upped the ratio of brown sugar to white. The molasses in the brown sugar takes the edge off of the sweetness, adds more chew, and a more complex caramel flavor. I also sprinkle a little flaky Maldon salt on top of each cookie. This really brings out the flavor of the cookie and also cuts back on any over–sweet flavor. I don't like when cookies are too blonde, I think the browning gives better flavor and looks much better, so the next thing I had to test was a better baking temperature and time. I tried baking the cookies at 350° F for 14 minutes, 375° F for 10 minutes, and 375° F for 12 minutes. The first batch had a good texture and great chew but it lacked the appealing golden–brown color. The second batch had the color, but were almost too chewy for my liking. The last batch was perfect in my opinion, because they were really crisp on the outside but still pleasantly chewy in the middle. You could experiment with the three different bake times, but the last is my favorite and the one I'm suggesting. The last change I made was leaving out the walnuts. Duh.

I'm including this as an ASB Basics recipe because every home baker should be able to make killer chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

Original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10813/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/

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Yield: ~18 large cookies (1/4 cup scoop)

(For ~40 small cookies, use 1.5 Tbsp scoop, bake 10-14 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup/2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar

• 1–1/2 cups (300g) brown sugar, firmly packed

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 3 cups (405g) all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons hot water

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + flaky sea salt for sprinkling

• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F°. Line two cookie sheets with silpats or leave ungreased if you don't have silpats.

2. In a big mixing bowl with electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the white and brown sugar for two minutes. Don't rush it.

3. Add the eggs one at time, and beat a full minute after each incorporation. Scrape the bowl down as necessary. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Mix the flour in on low speed.

5. In a small cup or tiny bowl, pour the hot water over the baking soda to dissolve. Stir as necessary and add to the main bowl. Mix it in thoroughly on low, being careful to not overwork the flour.

6. Beat in the kosher salt and chocolate chips on low.

7. You'll bake the cookies one tray at a time, so just do this with the first tray and repeat with the succeeding batches. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop large mounds of dough (leaving plenty of room to let them spread) on the cookie sheet. I was able to do six to a pan. Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on each mound.

8. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the cookies are brown around the edges, and not quite set in the middle. Let the cookies cool in the pan 5–10 minutes, until they are firm enough to remove with a metal spatula. When they are firm enough, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or eat them warm. As the first batch cooks, prepare the next one. By the time you're ready to bake the third batch, the first pan should probably be cool enough to reuse. Enjoy!