Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies (repost)

Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies (repost) - made March 4, 2020

It's been longer than usual since my last post. March has been surreal and I struggled with what to keep writing on my blog. It's impossible to avoid any mention of COVID-19 and the way the pandemic is ravaging the world. At least not without the risk of sounding completely tone-deaf with what's going on in the world around us. Yet it's hard to be so immersed in bad news 24/7 without losing your mind. At the same time, it's also hard not to seem like you're not taking it seriously or not taking self-serving advantage in some way when you do post something non-virus related. There has to be a balance somewhere. I don't know what it is so just know whatever I write in the coming days, that's what I'm struggling with, no matter what I write.

March 4 seems like a lifetime ago. That's when I was doing some comfort baking, which to me, is always chocolate chip cookies. But unlike the previous times, I didn't try out a new recipe but instead went back to one I first made a year and a half ago. At first I adjusted the recipe to accommodate it for high altitude: increase liquid, increase flour, decrease leavening, raise temperature, etc. It was a flop. Spread too much, seemed too sweet, flavor was fine but texture was only okay.

So I made it as is when I had first discovered the recipe and baked it at sea level. And, guess what, it worked just fine. Click on the post title to see how it looked when made at sea level. The pictures on this post are what they look like baked at 4400 feet. No discernible difference.

More strikingly, I've decided I'm going to stop testing out chocolate chip cookie recipes. I don't feel like I need to anymore. This is it. This is the one I love the best. That's actually a pretty big deal as you know I love trying out new recipes for chocolate chip cookies. But, although I've tried out many good ones, none of them really stood out to me a day later and I don't even remember 90% of them once I've posted about them. So I'm sticking to this one. I love the flavor and the soft texture in the middle and the crisp edges. I love it more at room temperature than warm, which is surprising but true. Disclaimer: remember everyone has different tastes. Just because this is THE ONE for me, doesn't mean it'll be the one for you. You might want something more buttery or more crisp or chewy. That's okay. For me, the search is over.

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 form into thick disks. Cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight. If you decide to skip this step, at least place in refrigerator while oven preheats.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space 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 for the best texture. If eaten too warm, texture will be too mushy.