Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can't go wrong with the classics, right?
Who wants a cookie? Chocolate chip cookies are the real winner in the world of cookies. I don’t know about you, but when someone mentions a cookie, my mind immediately thinks of a chocolate chip cookie. It is quite disappointing if it’s anything else if I’m being honest.
If you’re asked to bring cookies to an event, you can’t go wrong with a couple dozen warm, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate chip cookies. Honestly, the name needs no additional description. A chocolate chip cookie is quite simply delicious in both flavor and texture. The butter is rich and velvety coupled with a strong chocolate flavor. This cookie is a perfect balance of sweet with that tiny bit of chocolate bitter. The texture is soft and tender yet crunchy when baked to perfection. What more could you need from a cookie?
The History of the Infamous Cookie
There are many myths surrounding the origin of the chocolate chip cookie. I am in love with them all. The stories are magical and mysterious and curiosity keeps me wondering. We know the back of the Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips has a recipe called Toll House Cookies. It seems that the recipe might have been created around the 1930’s in a Massachusetts restaurant named Toll House, where this little treat became instantly popular. In all honesty, I’ve made this recipe before and it deserves the hype.
After a radio program with Better Crocker, this small bit of heaven was indeed a sought-after treat. The rights to the recipe were eventually given to Nestle in exchange for a lifetime of chocolate. How crazy is that though?
Okay, so who threw some chips into a cookie and how do I thank them forever? There is much speculation as to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ Ruth Wakefield, owner and cook of the Toll House, changed her scrumptious butter cookies, but I’m certainly glad she took the risk and threw in a little bit of chocolate.
Some claim she ran out of nuts, others believe she was whipping up a chocolate cookie and ran short of cocoa powder and thought the chips would melt, thus creating a better chocolate flavoring. Another story is that the vibrating mixer shook some chocolate, stored on a shelf above the mixer, into the bowl of cookie dough as it was spinning.
Obviously, the best assumption is that a skilled baker created this cookie because she believed the taste of her butter cookie and a chip of chocolate would be delicious. We could continue debating the hows, but ultimately the love I have for a chocolate chip cookie is immeasurable and I’m just thankful for this happy accident or stroke of genius.
What You Need
Baking a traditional chocolate chip cookie is pretty easy. It’s one of the first cookies I ever baked on my own. I remember rewriting the recipe and titled it, “Chocolate Cookies for Dummies.” It’s written exactly in the order of how to mix the dough. I now know that for most cookie recipes, you cream together the wet ingredients first and slowly add the dry in small increments, stirring after each addition, but as a 14-year-old, I had no idea. Needless to say, my cookies turned out… bad. If you need more information about this, visit my blog here.
You’ll need a few basic cookie ingredients plus chocolate chips, a bowl and/or mixer, an oven, and some cookie sheets. Oh, please remember some oven mitts. I don’t want any burns on my watch. Safety first!
Recipe
I believe this recipe makes about 4 dozen, medium-sized cookies. Perfect for a hungry family, or any friendly function.
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter or shortening (softened)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (I love to use the traditional semi-sweet)
First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Next, cream together the sugars and butter. The mixture should be a smooth and creamy texture. Next, add the eggs (one at a time) beating well after each addition. Then, add vanilla and stir.
Finally, combine the dry ingredients and whisk them together. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips (you can also measure these by the heart). Of course, you know me, I add in more than 2 cups of chocolate chips just for good measure.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an un-greased baking sheet. I love to use an ice cream scoop. The cookies turn out nice and round plus the measurement or size of the cookie is very consistent. Bake for 6 - 7 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a minute on the cookie sheet and then let them cool on wire racks.
Keeping It Fancy
One of the things I found that I really enjoy on my chocolate chip cookie is a little bit of sea salt sprinkled on top. I first tried this at Crumbl Cookies when I had their Semi-Sweet chocolate chunk cookie. It is absolutely amazing if you haven’t tried it before! But, they sprinkle some salt on top. I didn’t think this would be good but it is delicious! After tasting theirs, I decided to try it on my cookies at home. I think it is yummy too.
My Thoughts
I can think of very few things that are better than chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. The smell alone makes your mouth water. I am not a huge fan of milk, but it’s hard to eat a soft and delicious chocolate chip cookie without a glass of milk to go with it. Never dip though. That ruins the cookie!
I have very fond memories of making chocolate chip cookies almost every Sunday after church with my family. I LOVE the traditional recipe, but have also tried many variations and really enjoy most of them as well. My sisters and I have made very flat and sometimes over-baked cookies. My word of advice is to carefully watch the first batch of cookies. Most ovens bake a little differently and over-baked cookies are just wrong. Happy Baking to you all!