Chocolate chip cookies, the ultimate in comfort and pleasure, hold a particular place in the hearts and palates of people all over the world. The richness of cookie dough is combined with the enticing attraction of melty chocolate chips in these legendary delicacies. We’ll dive deeper into the origins, these cherished sweets that never fail to bring joy to any occasion in this post.
Origin:
Ruth Graves Wakefield created the chocolate chip cookie in the 1930s. According to legend, she was testing a butterscotch cookie recipe at her Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. In the recipe, she substituted chopped chocolate for cocoa powder, anticipating the chocolate to melt and form an all-chocolate cookie. The chocolate chips, much to her astonishment, preserved their shape, giving origin to the first chocolate chip cookie. Nestlé later released her recipe, and the rest is delicious history.
| Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes |
| Rest time: 15 minutes | Serving: 4 |
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
1.Cream the Butter and Sugars:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2.Add Eggs:
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
4.Add Chocolate Chips and Nuts:
Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts (if using) with a spatula. The chocolate chips will add sweetness and gooeyness to the cookies, while the nuts will provide a delightful crunch.
- Form Cookie Dough:
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You can also line your baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
6.Bake to Perfection:
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. The centers should still be slightly soft. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake slightly as they cool.
7.Cool and Enjoy:
Once the cookies are out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This resting time allows the cookies to set and become more stable.
8.Serve and Store:
Once the cookies are completely cooled, serve them with a glass of cold milk or your favorite beverage. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Variations to explore:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: Replace a portion of the all-purpose flour with cocoa powder and add more chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolate experience. As a result, a rich, fudgy cookie that chocoholics will appreciate has been created.
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies: For a luxury and nutty touch, replace the usual chocolate chips with creamy white chocolate chips and add chopped macadamia nuts.
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: This heartier and slightly healthier variation of the classic cookie combines the goodness of oats with chocolate chips. The oats add texture as well as a hearty flavor.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: For a nutty and savory flavor, add peanut butter to the dough. Peanut butter and chocolate chips are a cookie pairing made in heaven.
Baking Tips:
- Softened But Not Melted Butter: Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. Softened butter blends into the dough more easily, resulting in a smoother texture.
- Room Temperature Eggs: Using room temperature eggs results in greater emulsification and uniform moisture distribution in the dough.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sifting together the flour, baking soda, and salt prevents clumps in the dough and ensures an equal rise during baking.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the cookie dough for at least an hour before baking helps the flavors develop and keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Adequate Spacing: When arranging cookie dough mounds on a baking sheet, leave enough space between each mound to allow for spreading during baking.
- Golden Edges: Bake until the edges are golden brown and the middle are slightly underdone. As they cool on the baking pan, the remaining heat will continue to cook them.