This is for Niki. She has been on a quest (part 2 and 3) to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I agree with her completely in that personal preferences play a big part in the “perfect” cookie. Of course, ingredients and oven temperatures do, too. I like slightly crisper cookies and I simply love oatmeal in cookies. Niki wants a chewy cookie, the kind you might find at a coffee shop, that retains it’s chew even the day after it has been baked. No strange ingredients and no cakiness to be found.
I turned to The Best Recipe for these cookies and, low and behold, they had them! The recipe claimed that the secret was not just in melting the butter, but in the extra egg yolk. Apparently the little bit of extra fat adds just enough moisture to keep the cookies chewy, without making the cookies greasy, as extra butter might.
Just barely cooled and straight out of the oven, these large cookies are perfectly crisp at the edges and chewy – but not cakey – in the center. This may be the perfect way for cookies to be, but all cookies are good fresh from the oven. To test the longer-term claim of chewiness, I left a few out on the counter (out of the reach of my cats) overnight and put the rest into an airtight container. Both groups were still nice and chewy. Success!
I did increase the salt slightly from 1/2 tsp, which I didn’t feel was enough. Using salted butter in addition will make them practically irresistable, but unsalted is fine, too. Baking time will vary slightly based on the size of your cookie. The book got 18 cookies from their “scant 1/4 cup” measure. I thought I had just about a full 1/4 cup and still got 24 cookies.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(thanks to the Best Recipe)
2 cups plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (12 tbsp), melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, followed by chocolate chips.
Drop by (scant) 1/4 cups onto the baking sheet and pat lightly so the cookie is an even thickness, not a ball shape. Cookies will spread as they bake and this ensures a more even spread.
Bake at 325F for 15-17 minutes, until just turning light brown all over. The edges should only be very slightly more brown, if at all, from the rest of the cookie. Allow cookies to cool before removing them from the baking sheet.
Makes 18-24 large cookies
Bakingfreak
October 13, 2005Wow, thanks!!! I’m gonna try them for the weekend.. They look sooo yummi!!!
FoodNinja
October 13, 2005Ahem.. Waiter there seems to be a bite out of this cookie. 😉 looks great nic.
BNA
October 13, 2005Well, now I know what I’ll be doing this evening. Thanks for the inspiration.
dksbook
October 13, 2005I love this recipe – I got it from the same cookbook, but taking a leaf from an old Sunset Magazine recipe, I substitute 3 T ground, raw oatmeal for 3T flour. It gives a tiny bit more tooth, and, I think, keeps the cookies chewy longer.
Nic
October 13, 2005Bakingfreak – Let me know how they turn out!
Templar – No refunds here. You’ll have to take what you can get.
Bna – Cookie baking always makes a good evening.
Dksbook – That is definately a substituition that I like. Most other chocolate chipp cookies I make have oatmeal in them. I’m sure that a lot of bakeries do this as well to add chew and moisture to their cookies.
Niki
October 13, 2005Waaah! Everybody’s paying homage to the research project by making the most spectacular looking chewy cookies! 🙂 Another recipe to add to the list.
I’m with you on the oatmeal thing; I like the texture and taste is provides, so I think I’ll give that a go.
The Alton Brown recipe I tried last week had an extra egg yolk, to provide the extra fat – but didn’t seem to work for me.
I bought another baking book yesterday (like I NEED another one) and it had a CCC recipe in it which took my fancy; it only had 75g of butter, rather than the 225 or so in other recipes, but it had 4 tablespoons of golden syrup; which I think would work the same way as your dash of honey tip, to make the cookies moist. Being that it’s such a different technique, I think that’s the one I’ll try next.
Jessica
October 13, 2005Funny, I just made chocolate chip cookies (will post about it soon), and I thought 2 cups of flour, unsalted butter and 1/2 tsp salt made it way too salty. It just goes to show that cookies are a matter of taste!
Cathy
October 13, 2005Hi Nic! As soon as I saw the title, I knew this was for Niki! The cookies look delicious! I guess it’s when you beat the butter and eggs that things get cakey (at least that’s how it works with the brownies), so maybe melting it allows you to incorporate it without beating much?
Lori
October 14, 2005My god, Nic, what a coincidence! I just made these exact same cookies tonight with my 3-year old. We were watching Barney and the kids on the show were decorating cookies, so Boo asked if we could do the same. I didn’t mix the chips into the batter — I let Boo decorate the tops with them instead. You’re right — they are terrific. 🙂 Great baking minds think alike.
Anonymous
October 14, 2005This is the best chocolate-chip cookie recipe ever! I’ve made them for a few years now and everyone always raves about them and wants the recipe. The extra vanilla and the chewy texture makes them perfect. My son is spoiled–he only likes them fresh from the oven. Make them!
Anonymous
October 14, 2005I’ve always wanted that super-chewy recipe, thanks!
mischiefmari
October 18, 2005This is interesting – I think I found a similar recipe last year from either Sunset magazine or the Baker’s Catalogue…can’t remember. But there was a note at the bottom of the recipe from the author who said one of the keys to this ccc recipe is the melted butter. 🙂
elizabeth
October 18, 2005i just got done baking these. they were delicious. however, due to being on the phone with the hubby while baking them, i added both eggs whole. my cookies also didn’t come out looking like yours either. yours look better 😉
Anonymous
October 29, 2005awesome cookies. I added half a cup of rolled oats in place of flour and used white choclate buttons!chewy yum yum
Clare
April 11, 2006Great texture, but I think next time I will use unsalted butter as I thought it came out a bit salty in the aftertaste. I also got only 12 cookies using a 1/4 cup measurement. But I’m stoked as it has been hard to find a chewy cookie base recipe and now I have one! Thanks!!
Nic
April 11, 2006Clare -I’m glad you liked it. I always use unsalted butter in my baking and recommend it to everyone.
Anonymous
April 17, 2006That is honestly the best recipe we’ve ever had!! It seriously tastes like a fresh Mrs. Fields… the key is to underbake them some and that way when they cool they’re moist and AMAZING. I keep begging my girlfriend to make more! REALLY GREAT RECIPE!!
ilonchik
November 17, 2006has anyone ever heard of first beating the white of the egg, then beating in the sugar little by little, then beating in the egg yolk, then adding baking soda (previously mixed with either lemon juice or white vinegar), then slowly, little by little, sturring in the flour…this is my grandma’s way of making pastries, she says that it makes the dow rise well and the lemon juice or vinegar prevents the dow smelling like baking soda. Also, I added a little yogurt to cookies once and everyone said it was more chewy. What do you think?
jill
December 14, 2006The cookies came out awesome and delish! Just perfect and so good! Thanks!
Carissa
July 22, 2007Your site has without fail provided me with some delicious recipes, this one is no exception. My husband has been raving about these cookies all day and swears they are the recipe for Mrs. Fields. It’s an especially nice treat seeing as we are living in London now and don’t have the option to run and buy some at the nearest shop! I opted for the 3T subsitution of oats (instead of flour) as suggested by dksbook and found them perfect -thanks dksbook. The oatmeal chocolate chip cookies you have posted are also among my favorites. Thanks for such a wonderful site!
kris
August 12, 2007hi there,
i pride myself on my ccc’s, and i can’t wait to incorporate your tips in my next batch. thanks!
Hannah
October 28, 2007Hi,
I made these yesterday, they are the most perfect all-American chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been reading your blog for months now and trying your recipes–everything is always delicious and true to your descriptions. Thanks so much!
ashley
November 8, 2007i have been longing for the best ccc it’s not all that easy to find so glad i came across this.my kids will be sooooo happy i hate a cake like cookie the remind me of the bag mix in the bakeing isle this seems to be great but would you recommend margerine or real butter or would it matter thanks so much
Jan
November 23, 2007Hello
I am from Singapore. i will be trying this out soon.. and will be back for a comment. So excited coz i am using this cookies to chase a guy. Wish me the best! and thanks for the various types of cookies! I think i will try out the this one or the mini choco. chip cookie recipe!
Fash
February 3, 2008These are hands-down the BEST LOOKING cookie I have ever baked – and they taste fabulous. I used mini chips, because that’s what I had, and swapped 1/3 C slightly pulverized oats for 1/3 C of the flour. After I baked the first six using the 1/4 C method, I used a 1/8 C measure for the rest.
I am seriously ditching the rest of my CCC recipes – except for my exquisite lemon/white chocolate chip version, that is.
Thanks so much for posting this!!
Mary Lise
February 8, 2008These cookies were to die for!! I had tried another chocolate chip cookie recipe in the same cookbook, but these are better! They will replace my long standing favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Cookie bear
April 4, 2008This recipe is AWESOME! I cooked a batch today using unsalted butter, and dark brown sugar. The cookies had just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you so much for this recipe!
k_sweettooth
May 15, 2008I made these last week. I’ve been searching for a chewy and moist CCC and was not disappointed by this recipe. Only thing I need to improve though is, they are too flat, maybe a pinch more of baking soda will do.
Sweettooth1423
June 6, 2008WOW!I will bake these for Father’s day!I just love baking!These chocolate chip cookies will sure surprise my dad.Thanks again!
Carrie
June 21, 2008I made these for Father’s Day and my husband loved them. Instead of making them so large, I made them about a tablespoon size and baked for about 11 min. Delicious!
Florian
October 26, 2008Those cookies are the best chocolate chip cookies i ever made. Absolutely fantastic. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
And the suggestion with the salted butter was great too. It really adds to their taste.
Dawn
January 29, 2009I am with Niki; always looking for the chewy soft cookie that isn’t cakey.
lisa
March 22, 2009THis was amazing !!!! thank you So much !
Christabel
May 4, 2009Wow I just made these cookies last night. They are beautiful and tasty! I used the Milk Chocolate Ghiradelli chips and they were just what I was looking for! Thanks for the recipe and the great site! I check it everyday!
Eleanor
May 12, 2009I also am searching for the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I just baked these. I followed the recipe as published, except for reducing the baking powder to approximately 3/8 t because I live at 5400 feet, and they crunch! Next time, I’ll try them with the oatmeal flour and my boyfriend says they are really tasty the way they are, but they didn’t come out chewy for me 🙁
Cupcake
July 20, 2009OMG! I found this recipe last night and whipped up a batch this morning. These cookies are perfect! I have been searching for the perfect chewy cookie for as long as i can remember and this is it!!! Thanks so much x
CT
August 9, 2009Just wondering, did the recipe specify that you cream the butter, and did you? If you did and the recipe didn’t, that may have made some difference.
CT
August 9, 2009Oops… just realized I missed the instruction that said to. =P
Pawadee
February 18, 2010Absolutely gorgeous, this recipe never disappoints
Thank you 🙂
erisgrrrl
March 21, 2010I made these several months ago and couldn’t find the recipe again for a long time. These have THE BEST flavor of any cookie I have ever tasted! You taste the butter and the vanilla… and all that salty goodness against the chocolate… so good! When I made them, though, they were chewy out of the oven but as soon as they cooled they were HARD – what did I do wrong?
I’m trying it again this morning and I’m going to bake them less to see if that helps. I’m also going to add mashed banana into the batter to see if it keeps it more moist-y/chewy-y.
chocolateboy
May 29, 2010can u tell mi if i were to bake tis cookies,should i use a electronic hand mixer or a stand mixer instead???which of the two is better???
erisgrrrl
July 14, 2010Holy wow! Since my comment about them getting hard I’ve made these at least 6 more times! I’ve altered them in MANY ways (including making a chocolate-double chocolate chip version and curried coconut choco chip version!) and I’ve got to say these really are THE BEST! It’s all in the under baking! I think my husband would come give you a full-on mouth kiss for posting this recipe! Heck, I probably would too! 😉
Okay, enough hysterics! These are great and thanks again for sharing!!
erisgrrrl
August 3, 2010I spend way too much time on this page making way too many comments! Chocolateboy I don’t use any kind of mixer! I use a whisk for the wet ingredients and then switch to a wooden spoon when the dry gets added in! They always turn out fantastic! 😀 I can’t get my stand mixer to work on it b/c it just throws everything out to the edges. *shrug*
Hope that helps!
Evan
August 27, 2011these cookies were far from soft and chewy. as soon as they cooled they were hard