For as long as I’ve been baking, or cooking at all, I’ve been baking chocolate chip cookies. Isn’t it one of the first things kids learn to do in the kitchen? Warm chocolate chip cookies just minutes out of the oven have always been a favorite treat of mine. Even the simple original Nestle recipe on the back of a bag of chocolate chips hits the spot. That recipe got a lot of use in my college days and even when I moved on to using better chocolate and dark chocolate, I still used that basic recipe for years. Then I started trying tons of different chocolate chip cookie recipes, some fancy, some not, with and without nuts. I enjoyed them all, truly. Yet, I think I’ve found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, as hard as that is to admit.
My favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is an adaptation of David Lebovitz’ Chocolate Chip Cookies from his book, “Ready for Dessert“. At first, I didn’t want to follow his recipe. David Lebovitz “ages” the cookie dough, meaning you mix the dough and then you have to wait, a whole day!!! What? Chocolate chip cookies are all about instant gratification! Well, turns out, it’s worth it. It makes a better cookie and the payback is that the cookie dough also lasts in your fridge for a week so you can bake off a little every day and have fresh cookies every day for a week!
I’ve kept the recipe mostly the same, with just a few tweaks. Instead of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, I prefer dark chocolate as I always do and just before baking, I like to sprinkle a little sea salt on each cookie. Magic! This recipe also allows you to use any nut you’d like and I’ve tried several different kinds and liked all. It’s possible my favorite version is with peanuts and sliced almonds. Oh, and when you turn this into an ice cream sandwich, it might be my favorite dessert.
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
~48 Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups nuts (about 225 grams), toasted and coarsely chopped
- 14 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions –
1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed just until smooth.
3. Beat eggs in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Using a large rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture, followed by the nuts and chocolate.
5. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into four. Shape each into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.
6. Position the racks in the upper and lower third of your oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Slice the logs into 3/4-inch thick disks and place 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Sprinkle a little sea salt on each cookie.
8. Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through, until the cookies are lightly golden in the center, about 10 minutes. Err on the side of under-baking if you like soft chocolate chip cookies.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.
Storage: the dough logs can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 1 month. The baked cookies can be store in an airtight container in room temperature for 4 days.
