Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough August 11, 2018 from House of Yumm

This is the first of several chocolate chip cookie recipes I've recently tried and this one is amazing. This recipe only makes six good-sized cookies but what a six they are. It has all the hallmarks of what I adore lust obsess over really, really like in a chocolate chip cookie.

It almost goes without saying that it was chubby and didn't spread much. The brown sugar caramel overtones are there. But what really made it for me was the soft, chewy texture, not cake-like but just what a thick, fat cookie should be. It doesn't quite have the crisp outside of a Levain Bakery cookie but it's the perfect texture on the inside of a chewy cookie you can really sink your teeth into.

I did all the usual tricks I do to maximize perfection of cookies in general, chocolate chip cookies in particular: portion the dough into good-sized dough balls then pat into thick discs. These don't spread much and if you want cookies of uniform thickness, go the route of the thick disc. Put in a freezer bag and freeze at least several hours.

If you read nothing else of this post, follow this part: do not overbake. I like to bake cookies just until the edges are brown and the middles are just barely past the raw stage. You can tell they're not raw anymore as the middles won't be shiny and there may be a few thin fissures or hairline cracks on top. Do not wait until all of the middles are brown or else they'll be overbaked.

For maximum enjoyment of this cookie, you have to wait until they're completely cool and at room temperature. I know, you just rolled your eyes. What happened to "10 minutes out of the oven"? Well, for cookies this thick and for the chewy texture I was rhapsodizing about, these are best at room temperature or, if your willpower doesn't stretch that far, wait until they're just barely lukewarm. The chips will still be melty but the cookie should be set just enough to be chewy but not mushy. If you eat while they're still too hot or warm, you'll get cookie mush. Trust me, the wait is worth it.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chocolate chunks

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla; mix until just combined.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
4. Fold in chocolate chunks by hand. Divide into 6 pieces and gently form into thick disks. Cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space chilled cookie dough balls. Bake 15-18 minutes or until edges are golden and middles no longer look raw. Remove from heat and let cool completely on a wire rack.