I love baking. Going back to traditional recipes and perfecting them is what I love most. Luckily there are great resources on the web that allow me to compare recipes and get great ideas. So, today I wanted to make traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies because there’s a certain comfort in a good chocolate chip cookie–especially on a cold winter day where the wind is gusting to 30-50 mph. Also, I wanted to make something for my family because I haven’t baked for them in a long while.
My idea of a perfect chocolate chip cookies is a cookie that is a bit crunchy around the edges and still soft in the middle–not cake like, but soft and maybe just a tiny bit on the doughy side. So, when I ran across this recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies at Sally’s Baking Addiction I knew I needed to try it. (Sally’s Baking Addiction is in the top 3 of the blogs I visit for consistently reliable recipes. The other two are Brown Eyed Baker and Smitten Kitchen.)
Please note that you do need to read the recipe and follow the instructions. Otherwise, you won’t have the cookies you’re hoping for or that I describe. So open the link and fully read the recipe prior to making. You’ll thank yourself when you are eating the results!
Here are the 4 major differences between a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe and Sally’s Baking Addiction’s recipe:
–corn starch (I upped the amount to 2 Tbsp. I think it made the texture amazing.)
–melted butter
–chilling the dough (I went further. I chilled the dough for 2 hours, scooped out cookie dough balls, and then froze the balls for about 1 hour in the freezer prior to baking.)
–baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to 350 degrees.
My batch made 24 cookies using the medium Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop filled to heaping. (The cookie scoop is about 2 Tbsp.) I baked the cookies for 13 1/2 minutes in my oven and I believe that they were perfect for me at that point. They were ever so slightly browned. I then allowed them to cool fully on the baking sheet before removing them.
I didn’t have chocolate chunks on hand, but that didn’t matter. This recipe is great with regular chocolate chips, too.
My family happily ate them all. I offered to package some up for my husband to take to his volleyball team. He was hesitant to share because then he’d have fewer cookies left at home. I promised I could make more if we really need them. He did take them.
My comments for my next batch: I think these would be even more amazing with toasted pecans! I also think substituting toffee bits (like Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits) for the chocolate chips would also be a wise decision. I also may substitute pecan oil for vanilla extract next time… (I have that in my cupboard. Most probably don’t, but if you are interested you can get it locally in Madison at Vanilla Bean.)
I’d love for you to share a link in the comments to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I always love to try something new.
