The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think it’s fair to say that I have a few “life-quest for the very best of” kinda recipes. The list includes: creme brulee, banana bread, brownies, veggie burgers, baguette, and yes, Chocolate Chip Cookies. In my lifetime, I have tried out many, many recipes, and, up until lately this one was my favorite. 

My main issue with Chocolate Chip Cookies is that I like them soft and chewy. And they usually are when you take them out of the oven, but the next day, they wind up crispy, and I don’t like that. These were still luscious and soft the next day. I don’t know if I’ve found the holy grail of Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, but I am certainly one step closer.

I just acquired a deep freeze. The next time I make these, I will double the recipe, because I’m going to need to have some of these in my freezer for (ahem) “emergencies.”

I think it might be the addition of cornstarch that makes them soooo good. Whatever. Just trust me. Try them.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

(adapted from Anna Olsen)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar (I used only 3/4)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks (I was tragically out of bittersweet chocolate–rare–so I just used a cup of regular Chipits)

Method:

• With a hand-held mixer or a stand-mixer, cream the butter together with the sugars.
• Add the egg, and mix well. Add in the vanilla extract.
• Slowly add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, until it is all combined.
• Fold in the chocolate.
• Drop by spoonfuls (I used my handy-dandy cookie scoop) onto a cookie sheet, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. They really are much better if you slightly undercook them, as it makes the centers even more gooey.
• Cool and enjoy. But there will likely not be many left over for your freezer.

UPDATE: We’re having a heatwave (a tropical heatwave!), and it’s too hot to turn the oven on. I made a big ‘ol batch of these, and then froze them on cookie sheets in balls, raw, on parchment. After they were frozen, I peeled them off the parchment and put them into ziploc bags. You can take out and bake as many or as few as you need. Works really well!