I have had a number of requests for my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I have resisted until now as the object of this website is mostly to find work-arounds that accommodate the food problems of the members of my family. I am happy to share these results as those who visit this site have some of the same concerns that we do.
However, I do make the sinfully sweet, chewy, chocolate chip cookies to give away as house gifts to friends and as a little thank you to those who provide services for me and my family, such as my doctor, the gentleman who ploughs my lane, the people who look after my cars and so on. I have developed this recipe over decades. I do not suggest work arounds nor do I advise about substitutions. If you wish to modify what I have done to suit your tastes, your equipment limitations or your ingredient restrictions, please do so. (I have added a comment about Andrea's Gluten Free Flour in the Detailed Notes in case you would like to replace the wheat flour.)
Before I get into it there are some things you need to know:
Get the best ingredients you can. In the Detailed Notes I list the sources that I use.
Use the best equipment that you can get. In the Detailed Notes you will find the sources for these also.
Most importantly, pay attention to the technique. I will get into the details in the notes and provide pictures where possible. If I can I will try to add a video. (I had to get this up on the website for a friend who has waited patiently for this recipe so no pictures or videos for now.)
Just following the recipe, you can make a good cookie. By refining your technique you can definitely take the quality of your cookies to the next level. It took me a long time to arrive at the fact that how I made the cookies mattered. If you can master this, the reward is watching the little moment of rapture when your best friend savours the first bite of one of your cookies.
So, here is the recipe:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes about 5 dozen 3 inch cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups of bread flour (210 grams) 1 2/3 cups of cake & pastry flour (230 grams) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (7 grams) 3/4 teaspoons salt (6 grams) 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly (227 grams) 1 1/2 cups packed light brown (sometimes called golden) sugar (370 grams) 1 cup granulated white sugar (215 grams) 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (4 grams) 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I err on the side of too many chips. I go to 3 and sometimes 4 cups!)
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
Kitchen Aid mixer or equivalent 3 Medium size mixing bowls 2 cup measuring cup 4 cup measuring cup 1 cup measuring cup 1/3 cup measuring cup silicone spatula whisk scale cookie scoop parchment paper cookie sheet
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the two sticks of butter in the 2 cup measuring cup and microwave for 40 seconds
If your oven takes a long time to heat up, set it now to 370 degrees. Otherwise, wait until step 18 to do so.
Put one of the medium mixing bowls on the scale, zero it out and weigh out the brown sugar (370 grams)
Keeping the bowl of brown sugar on the scale, zero out the scale and add the white sugar (215 grams)
Put the second medium bowl on the scale, zero it out and add the bread flour (210 grams)
Zero out the scale and then add the cake & pastry flour (230 grams)
Zero out the scale and then add the baking soda (7 grams)
Zero out the scale and then add the salt (6 grams)
Whisk the dry ingredients to blend well
Measure out the chocolate chips into the 4 cup measuring cup
Put the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl on the machine and add the sugar mixture. Using the general, all-purpose paddle at slow speed mix the sugars until they are uniform.
Add the melted butter to the sugar mixture. Beat at full speed (10) for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium (6) for 1 minute back to full speed (10) until light beige and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Scrape the sides down and beat for an additional 30 seconds at full speed
While the Kitchen Aid performs its magic, put the third medium bowl on the scale, zero it out and add the vanilla extract (4 grams). Add the 3 eggs and whisk until foamy.
When the butter and sugars have been beaten, add the eggs and vanilla and beat at speed 5 until the mixture is silky and smooth.
Slow the Kitchen Aid to 'Stir' and add the flour mixture slowly, one spoonful at a time. Scrape down the sides when the flour bowl is empty and 'Stir' for another 30 seconds.
Remove the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl from the machine and add the chocolate chips. Mix in well.
Set your oven to 370 degrees. Skip this step if you set your oven at step 2.
Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to match the surface of your cookie sheet.
Put one sheet on the cookie sheet and add scoops of cookie dough. Arrange the scoops to get 16 cookies per sheet.
Bake the first sheet for 8 3/4 minutes. Bake the additional sheets for 8 1/2 minutes.
Prep the additional sheets while the first sheet is baking. When the first sheet comes out of the oven slide it onto the counter top and slide the next parchment sheet, with 16 cookies on it, onto the cookie sheet and put in the oven. Continue in this way until all the cookies are baked.
Note: The actual yield is close to 70 cookies when using 4 cups of chips. However, if you have family members frequenting the kitchen as I do, you will find that there is shrinkage both in the cookie dough department and in the finished product. When packing up the cookies when they are cooled you should have around 5 dozen.