I know what you're thinking: chocolate chip cookies aren't a holiday cookie!! But would you really ever decline a soft and warm and chewy chocolate chip cookie? I'm hoping the answer is no. Because no matter the time of year, these cookies are utter perfection.
And trust me. We love molasses cookies, sugar cookies, thumbprint cookies, and candy cane cookies just as much as you. But sometimes, when you're baking for a crowd, you want to bring a classic you know everyone will love. And a chocolate chip cookie is bound to do the trick. In fact, we guarantee this cookie will be the hit of any gathering.
What makes these cookies so darn delicious (and almost impossible not to eat the entire bowl of dough)? Their size (they're big!) and the step of melting the butter, which helps create their chewy texture.
Cook's Illustrated also uses a technique for creating jagged dough balls (described below) to create a cracked, rustic cookie that will bring joy to everyone around you.
If you really want a showstopper, you can follow Cook's Illustrated advice and use 1/4 cup dough for each cookie. We cut that in half—using about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough per cookie—to make them a bit more manageable. They are a crispy on the outside, soft, warm, and chewy on the inside, and perhaps the most crowd-pleasing cookie we've ever made. Enjoy!.
cook's illustrated chewy chocolate chip cookies
Makes 1 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two lipless baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until blended. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, mix until well blended. Add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Stir in the chips with a rubber spatula.
Using your hands or a tablespoon, form large, round dough balls (about 2 tablespoons of dough each). Then, pull each ball into two halves, rotate the halves 90 degrees, and—with the jagged surfaces facing upwards—join the halves together at their base, forming a single cookie. Do not smooth the jagged surface.
Place the re-formed balls on the prepared cookie sheets. Only place about 9 or 10 per sheet, because the cookies will spread in the oven. Bake until light golden brown and the edges are beginning to harden, about 15 to 18 minutes (but check at 13). If they look slightly underdone, pull them out anyways! They will continue cooking as they cool.
Cool cookies on the cookie sheet, then serve. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated