Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gillian, a friend and fellow baker, told me about a chocolate chip cookie recipe that she loved. This past summer, I had been searching for my favorite chocolate chip recipe. I had combined two recipes and found one I was pretty happy with, but how could I refuse to try what I was told was the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe? I couldn't. I mean, what kind of baker would I be if I didn't at least try what could revolutionize cookies as I know it?

So on December 16, the lovely (and very pregnant) Jessica Donn came over and we baked cookies. It was the day before my graduation and the day before Finlay was to be born. We had a wonderful lunch and successfully made the new recipe. The cookies were delicious and even made their way to the hospital a couple days later for the new parents to enjoy.

Gillian's Recipe (from America's Test Kitchen)

1 3/4 Cups floor
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 Tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter
1/2 Cup white sugar
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (real vanilla, preferably)
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 Cups chocolate chips (I generally use Ghiradelli's milk chocolate chips.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Mix flour and baking soda in a medium bowl, set aside. Heat 10 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium high heat until melted. Then continue cooking the butter while swirling the pan until the butter is dark, golden brown with a nutty smell (about 1-3 minutes longer). Remove from heat and transfer the browned butter to another large bowl. Stir in the remaining 4 TBsp of butter into the hot butter until it has melted. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the egg and yolk and mix until smooth with no lumps. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then mix again for 30 seconds. You'll repeat this process twice more. So you'll mix for 30 seconds, let stand for 3 minutes, mix for 30 seconds, let stand for 3 minutes, mix for 30 seconds, let stand for 3 minutes for a total of three rounds. Stir in the flour mixture until combined and then add your chocolate chips. Spoon onto your prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes.

Jessica


The finished product


Finlay