Introduction: Crispy & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crispy. Chewy. Chocolately.
Delicious. Delectable. Dangerous.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! 

I think its safe to say that almost everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. Some people like them hard and crunchy. Others ooey gooey. I like them crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  After dozens and dozens of batches, Instructable member TannerW and I have figured out the perfect recipe. At least, perfect to our chocolate chip cookie standards. 



Step 1: Gather the Ingredients

These cookies use your basic cookie ingredients. You won't find any super bizarro secret ingredients in this recipe. 

You will need the following:

1 ½ Sticks Butter (¾ c)
1 c. Brown Sugar (I prefer dark)
½ c. Granulated Sugar
2 Tbs. Vanilla
1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
2+ c. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking Soda
2 c. Chocolate Chips

You will also need access to an oven, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and cups, baking sheets, etc. Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer is extremely nice and helpful, but not necessary. Hand mixers are also great, but still not necessary. Stirring by hand is perfectly okay, it just requires a little arm muscle to get things mixed. 

Just in case you didn't know...

Tbs = Tablespoon
c = Cup
tsp = Teaspoon




Step 2: Preheat the Oven

Before you start mixing your ingredients it is a good idea to preheat the oven. Then, when your cookie dough is complete the oven will be hot and ready to bake some cookies!

Make sure your oven racks are aligned in a way that makes sense. You either want one in the center or two close to the center (one just above the center and one just below). Sometimes ovens are hotter near the top and/or bottom of the oven. For even cooking it is best to bake your cookies closest to the center of the oven. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F (~163°C). 

Now the tasty part begins, preparing the cookie dough!

Step 3: Melt and Brown the Butter

Cut the 1 ½ sticks of butter into smaller chunks (4-6) and place in a small sauce pan/skillet/sautee pan (whatever you have will be fine). The more pieces you cut your butter into, the faster it will melt. It is not necessary to cut the butter up at all, I just like to expedite this process a bit. Turn the burner on to medium heat. Make sure you are watching the butter as it melts - you don't want the butter to burn. Once the butter is completely melted, simmer the butter for a few minutes. Simmering the butter allows for the some of water to evaporate off and 'browns' the butter. The browning of the butter give the cookies a toffee-esque flavor. 

Browning butter and burning butter both are similar in that the butter can turn brown, but they do not taste the same. If you burn the butter you will need to start this step over. If you are nervous about this step don't worry - just make sure your butter is melted and you can move onto the next step. 

Step 4: Mix the Butter, Sugar and Vanilla

In a medium mixing bowl (or Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl) combine the melted butter, the 1 c. brown sugar, the ½ c. granulated sugar, and the 2 Tbs. vanilla. Using a hand mixer, Kitchen Aid Mixer, or large spoon, mix the ingredients until they are all incorporated and sugar is melted (you can no longer see the sugar granules).  I used a hand mixer because the Kitchen Aid Mixer was broken. A whisk or spoon also works great. 

Step 5: Add the Eggs

Add the eggs (1 egg and 1 yolk) to the butter mixture. Mix or stir by hand until the eggs are fully incorporated. 

Set aside the bowl containing the butter mixture.

The combining of the wet ingredients is now complete and it is time to mix the dry ingredients.


Step 6: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a separate mixing bowl add 2 c. flour, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp baking soda. Mix the ingredients with a whisk or fork until combined. 

Step 7: Combine Dry Ingredients With Butter Mixture

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the bowl containing the butter mixture. Using your preferred mixing method (Kitchen Aid, hand mixer, spoon, etc.) mix the two together until they are almost combined. This means that you can still see some flour mixture separate from the dough.  

Adding the chocolate chips is next and I find it is easier to incorporate the chocolate chips when the wet and dry ingredients are fully combined. 

If you fully combine your wet and dry ingredients your cookies will still taste fabulous, its just a matter of mixing ease. 

Step 8: Add Chocolate Chips

Add the 2 c. chocolate chips to the almost incorporated dough. Continue mixing the dough until the flour mixture is fully incorporated and the chocolate chips are evenly spread throughout. 

Feel free to get creative with your chocolate chips of choice. You can use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mint chocolate chips, M&M's, white chocolate chips, or any combination of the above! I used a combination of large milk chocolate chips and small dark chocolate chips. Then I made a second batch using M&M's. 

Step 9: Form Cookies

How you form the cookies all depends on how big or small you want the cookies to be. The more consistent in size they are the more evenly they will bake. I used a tablespoon to form the balls of dough. Each cookie was 1 heaping tablespoon of dough. I didn't perfectly round the dough, I just placed the globs on the baking sheets, making sure they were 1-2" apart. 

If you want to make larger cookies, be sure to leave a little bit more space in between the dough globs. 

If you want the cookies to be perfect circles, form the dough into spheres and then slightly flatten them onto the baking sheets. 

I used smaller baking sheets and was able to get 12 cookies (3 X 4) on each sheet. 

Step 10: Bake Cookies

Place the baking sheets into the oven (set at 325° F) and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies show the slightest hint of golden brown. 

The longer you bake the cookies the crispier they will be and the chewier they won't be. I find between 12-15 minutes is the perfect combination of crispy and chewy. Feel free to slightly adjust the baking time to meet your cookie satisfaction. 

My oven allowed me to bake two sheets of cookies at once. This just speeds up the baking process. Let the cookie sheets cool slightly in between baking rounds. This helps avoid burns and makes for easier handling and baking. 

If you notice your oven is hotter in the back or top of the oven (the cookies are baking evenly) try rotating the cookie sheets half way through the baking time. 

After baking, transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to a cooling rack. If you don't have a cooling rack paper towels on the counter works well or a large plate.

Step 11: EAT THE COOKIES!

The best step of the whole process is here! Eating the cookies!

Once the cookies are cool enough to handle they are ready to eat! Waiting for them to cool is the hardest part. Just be careful not to burn your mouth. 

Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or on their own. And it is up to you whether you share them with others :)