Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies - made dough May 25, 2014 from Sally's Baking Addiction

This is an easy-to-make, straightforward chocolate chip cookie recipe, ideal for novice bakers. You don't need a fancy mixer or special ingredients, just a bowl and a wooden spoon. Because you melt the butter, you also don't have to worry about softening it or having it be too cold or too soft. Just let it cool slightly after you melt it so it's not hot enough to cook the eggs when you mix it. The dough was a little soft after I mixed it and didn't hold a ball shape very well so I did chill it briefly first, just long enough for the dough to be firm enough to hold its shape before I portioned it into dough balls and put them in the freezer for baking later.

I had a slip of the tongue when I told my coworker, Queen of Cheap Eats, "it's really simple, you can make it". Oops, that came out wrong. But it is really easy.

This doesn't spread very much so you get nice, thick cookies. Bake just long enough for the edges to get golden and the middle/top doesn't look raw. It's okay if they seem a bit underdone. Once they cool completely, they'll have a nice chewy texture. If you get a "cakey" texture, they're overbaked. I used milk chocolate chips just because I prefer milk chocolate but feel free to use semisweet or dark chocolate if you wish.

2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (180 grams) chocolate chips or chunks

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg then the egg yolk. Whisk in vanilla.
3. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix together with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can chill just until the dough is firm enough to portion into dough balls (3 tablespoons each) then chill or freeze the dough balls.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 8 balls of cookie dough onto each baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes. If desired, press more chocolate chunks or chips on top of newly baked cookies while still warm. Allow to cool completely.