December 11, 2015 12:21 pm
I’ve been working on this chocolate chip cookie recipe for 50 years. It is my holiday gift to you! Happy holidays!!!
Like any decent food blogger, I’ve made many different chocolate chip cookies in my baking career. The originial Toll House recipe is good, very good. Cook’s Illustrated improved on it and the folks at ATK gave us a bunch of wonderful variations. Then, Nancy brought us the Levain Bakery Cookies and threw down the gauntlet. Many knockoffs ensued. These are the result of an integration of all the features we liked in all the variations. I tried to interview my husband to get a description for you besides my own. He wasn’t very articulate. He said something like “guh.” I should have asked him after he was finished eating the cookie.
This cookie is thick, we might even say fat. It’s soft and chewy with a crispy edge. The flavor is a little salty, caramelly, buttery, butterscotchy. The chocolate chips are big and dark. Half the flour is whole wheat, which lends a welcome depth of flavor and heartiness.
I’ve found that aging or freezing the dough increases the complexity of flavor. And baking directly from frozen ensures that the cookies spread very little and thus stay tall. Keeping the formed cookies in the freezer also allows you to keep a stash at all times and just bake exactly as many as you want today, rather than having to bake a whole batch. Though you can certainly bake a whole batch…
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 30 cookies
I use organic ingredients when possible. It makes me feel better about eating cookies. I am giving you instructions to make these in a standing mixer. You may substitute a hand mixer. I’m sure you can do them by hand, but I haven’t done it with the cold butter and expect it would be a major arm workout. Let me know if you try it.
I find that many people don’t want a huge cookie. But if you think those enormous Levain-style treats are fun, use a 3 tablespoon scoop. You’ll need to increase the baking time by a minute or so.
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, cold, cut into 16 pieces(ish)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
11 oz. (1 bag) bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60%)
Mix the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, first on low speed to combine and then on medium speed when the sugar is no longer at risk of flying all over the kitchen. Add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running because it feels freeing and dangerous and it sounds slurpy.
Add the vanilla, mix for a moment, then stop and scrape down the sides and mix for a few more seconds.
Add the flours, the salt and baking soda and powder and start the mixer very slowly. Stand back if you are wearing black. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix to distribute.
Now, using a 1 tbs. portion scoop, form cookies on a baking sheet and freeze for at least two hours. After freezing, you can bake as many as you want and place the rest in a gallon zip top freezer bag. You will then feel like the richest person ever with a stash of frozen cookies.
OK, now preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment or a silpat. Place up to 8 cookies on the sheet(s), staggering the placement (see photo).
Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have just begun to brown at the edge.
I like them when they’ve just cooled for long enough not to burn your tongue and the chips are all gooey. Bob prefers them after the chips have firmed up, which takes a few hours. He is weird. How do you like them?
Pottery note: All the porcelain and stoneware pottery you see in this post were unloaded from the kiln this week! Many of you have requested information about buying pots. Currently (because of tech angel complications), we are doing local sales only, here at the studio in Warwick, NY. Stay tuned here on the blog and Instagram and Facebook for info about upcoming on-line sales.
Posted by debspots
Categories: baked, baked goods, baking, chocolate, dessert, holiday, sweets, treat, treats, Uncategorized
Tags: cookies, levain copycat, thick and chewy, whole wheat
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Thanks for the recipe Deb. I was gonna follow the Toll House cookie recipe but I’ve now changed my mind. Your the best!
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By Sharon Galbraith on December 18, 2015 at 4:01 pm
I can’t wait to hear how you like them! And see a pic of them on one of your gorgeous plates?
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By debspots on December 18, 2015 at 10:20 pm
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe. I’m going to try it again. They were very fun to make. I have one question though. I used half a cup of butter -115 grams- which apparently equals 1 stick of butter. The recipe calls for 2 sticks or half a cup. Could you clarify this for me, please? The cookies came out great, but they weren’t very chewy, nor did they spread much (I also baked them from frozen), and I was curious to know if maybe I added less butter than needed. Thanks again!!!
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By Regina on December 19, 2015 at 4:14 pm
Dear Regina, thanks so much for the comment. That was a typo! My bad. I fixed it. It’s 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup. So sorry! Let me know how they turn out when you make them with the full amount of butter.
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By debspots on December 19, 2015 at 5:02 pm
Perfect! Will do. The Gluten Free ones do call only for 1/2 cup right? I’ll bake them again tonight!
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By Regina on December 19, 2015 at 11:43 pm
Yes! You are an angel for being so patient!! 💛💛
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By debspots on December 19, 2015 at 11:53 pm
Haha. No. I’m thankful for your recipe! It is SO good.
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By Regina on December 20, 2015 at 12:03 am
Made these for my family today. Big hit! I reduced salt amount in the recipe and added a small pinch to the top of each cookie going into the oven. New favorite chocolate chip recipe! Thanks.
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By Melissa on April 9, 2016 at 8:20 pm
Dear Melissa, I am so happy to hear that everybody liked them! Now you can keep some in the freezer for whenever you have a craving!💟💟
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By debspots on April 9, 2016 at 8:23 pm
These truely are the perfect cc cookie… Thank you.. For a great recipe..
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By Gg on July 3, 2016 at 9:54 pm
I am so thrilled you like them! 💙💚💙
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By debspots on July 3, 2016 at 9:56 pm
I made these for Barbara for a house warming present and of course saved a few for Martin & I. They are perfect! Love them.
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By mmschweitzer on August 5, 2020 at 11:49 pm
This makes me so happy!!! 💗💗
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By dr deborah bernstein on August 6, 2020 at 5:22 am