The Secret to the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why does every time you see a recipe with the finished cookies pictured and then try to double those cookies, they never come out “right”? It’s like those fast food commercials that tempt you with a big, juicy burger that sits perfectly on a fresh bun and when you actually buy the burger, what you get is a crumpled piece of meat sandwiched between two flattened pieces of bun!
Do you want your chocolate chip cookies to come out soft and chewy every time? The secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie is actually quite simple! And you can make them with any chocolate chip recipe you have at your disposal.
The problem with most chocolate chip cookie recipes is that you have to drop a tablespoon on a cookie sheet and bake them for 9 to 12 minutes until the top is golden brown. That’s too long! By the time the top is golden brown, the bottom will be dark brown or worse, burnt. After the cookies have baked for so long, taking them out of the oven in this overbaked condition and letting them sit just makes them hard like a jawbreaker. Instead of soft, chewy cookies that melt in your mouth, you end up with hard, crunchy cookies with burnt bases.
Dropping larger amounts on the cookie sheet to make larger cookies doesn’t work. Half the cookie takes longer to bake and you still end up with a burnt bottom and hard cookies.
Instead of following the recipe directions for a 9- to 12-minute bake, bake the cookies for a couple of minutes. The first time you try this, you’ll have to play around with the timing and size of the cookie drops to get the perfect chocolate chip cookie for your oven. But as a general rule of thumb, after placing your cookie sheet in the oven (always on the top rack), set the timer for 6 to 8 minutes. When you take out the cookies, the entire top should NOT be browned. Instead, the peaks at the top of the cookie should turn brown. At this time, the entire bottom of the cookie is golden brown, and the rest of the cookie is the same color as the dough.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let them rest for a minute or so, as the cookies will be incredibly soft and will fall apart if you try to immediately remove them from the baking sheet. After they have firmed up a bit, take them off the cookie sheet and place them on the cooling rack or on a piece of waxed paper.
With this method, you are guaranteed to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies and have people ask you what YOUR secret is!
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture. Add the snacks and nuts. Drop a teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 6 to 7 minutes or until peaks on top of cookie begin to brown. Let stand for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks or waxed paper to cool completely.