National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor Spirited Table® - recipe curated from pinch of yum
Tips for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
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I just finished making these and they came out AMAZING. The fact that I didn’t have to freeze the dough was perfect for me because my husband really wanted COOKIES 🙂 He rated it YUMMMMMYYY!!! :)They came out soft inside and a bit crispy on the outside. Just the way we like them. To be honest it’s only my 2nd time baking cookies but it will definitely not be my last. I’m so happy I found this recipe and your tips works like magic. THANKS AGAIN!!
THIS RECIPE
I have made these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies at least 20 times now. Not exaggerating.
I first made these when we were in the Philippines, when it was a struggle to just keep butter solid for 2 seconds on the counter, and they were absolutely incredible. I had no idea how or why, but they just WORKED. And they blew my mind in the way only a perfect chocolate chip cookie really can.
But then every once in a while, they didn’t work. I’m not always super exact with my baking, but still. They were not thick and chewy and buttery like the perfect cookie should be. Some of your comments said the same things – most of the time they worked, but sometimes they didn’t. And I don’t like that.
Now I’m back home in dry, cool Minnesota and I have been waiting for this day just so I could figure out what would really make these cookies awesome for you. You who live in normal climates and shop at Cub Foods. I am now speaking your cookie-baking language.
Since I’m responsible for bringing some treats up the cabin for my big family and I had an excuse to make excessive amounts of cookies, I made these. Many times. To get to the bottom of this cookie perfection.
So here are my semi-scientific but mostly trial-and-error regular home cook tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies that look like this on the inside.
Use Salted Butter.
Butter. Butter butter butter, butter. Butter. Yum. Whether I’m baking or sauteing or eating the butter straight off the stick, I always choose good quality salted sweet cream butter. And I guess by good quality I mean the grocery store budget brand. Because, well, yum. It tastes really good, so that’s what I use.
Melt The Butter About Half Way In The Oven.
For me, for this blog, for these ultra-thick cookies, we melt the butter HALF WAY or less. So literally I heat the stick of butter until roughly half of it is melted. This gives me the most success with a cookie that is both soft and structured. And guess where I melt my butter? Well, I told you already. In the preheating oven. It goes slowly and it keeps most of the stick firm while just gently melting off the outer layer, unlike melting in the microwave where the whole thing gets kinda soggy. Try to melt half or less – my goal is usually about one third and it usually takes just 3-5 minutes. Set a timer, please! Any more than that will start to make the cookies flat (and you can check out my last picture of my failed cookies for proof).
Bring The Butter Back To Room Temperature.
It’s almost like a soft solid again. I sometimes stick it in the fridge or freezer to help speed up the process but then I let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to come back to room temperature before actually making the dough.
I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW this is annoying. Because you just want to make cookies right now. Believe me, I know. But hot melted butter just doesn’t work the same way as the cooled, soft-solid room temperature butter. Beeee paaatient.
Speaking of patience, If you’d like the rest of this recipe, please head to pinch of yum; it seems only fair, as they created this masterpiece of a cookie.