Happy Sunday!

My husband loves chocolate chip cookies. They’re his absolute favorite. Heck–I think they’re everyone’s favorite cookie. It’s a cult-classic. But I have made many cookies and have been disappointed. You would think that a simple flour, butter, sugar combination shouldn’t be so difficult, but it truly is an art form to master these cookies.

And with a lot of trial and error, and a lot of people telling me their recipe is great (and being disappointed), I almost lost total hope that I would ever get a chocolate chip cookie that is just right.

You see, I love soft, chewy, pillowy cookies. Not cakey. Not hard. I like them to have the consistency of just coming out the oven even when they’ve been cooled off and stowed away. Often times, cookies taste great out of the oven, but then the sugars solidify and toughen the cookie. No bueno.

Chocolate Chip cookies, in my opinion, have to be soft and chewy. And because of my high expectations, I am often disappointed. Until this recipe came to me.

I spent countless hours cross referencing recipes, analyzing the scientific outcomes of particular compounds, and I finally arrived at this recipe. It’s the perfect cookie. It’s scientifically proven to be chewy because of three main factors:

1.) Melted butter (the fat and flavor is necessary)

2.) Dark brown sugar (the molasses keeps the cookies moist)

3.) Cornstarch for softness

I also don’t have a lot of patience for cookies that require chilling, but for this recipe it’s okay because all you need is an hour of chilling. If you have the time, you can chill it for longer, but these cookies are perfect within the hour–score!

Ingredients

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks (6 oz) butter, melted and cooled (I used Kerrygold’s salted butter–highly recommended!)
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed (I used dark brown sugar)
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (feel free to add more!)

Path to Cookie Heaven

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer (or a handmixer in a separate bowl) beat together the cooled melted butter and the sugars for a minute. Then, add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until just combined.
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix briefly, just until there are no flour clumps left. I incorporated a half a cup at a time. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour or more.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 325 degrees, making sure you have the racks in the middle of the oven.
6. On a cookie sheet, put down a silicone liner (or you may use parchment paper, but I recommend a silicone liner for best results). Using a cookie scoop, portion approximately 20 cookies. Make sure they’re spaced out accordingly. Tip: Feel free to add in more chocolate chips on the top of the cookie for aesthetic purposes. You may add more chips also when it comes out as well.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating half-way through, or until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden, but the center of the cookie still looks soft and just slightly under-cooked. Let cool on the baking sheets until the cookies are firm enough to remove, approximately two minutes.
8. Enjoy!