Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: Delicately Crisp on the Outside, Slightly Chewy on the Inside

Nothing beats a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. This surefire recipe has everything you are looking for, delicately crisp on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside.

My Dad, who passed away earlier this year, loved chocolate chip cookies. No holiday, family gathering, or birthday was complete without them. It didn’t really matter which recipe I made, from the Tollhouse version on the back of the chocolate chip bag to some fancy chef-backed recipe I found in a gourmet cookbook, he always loved them.

Over the years, I’ve tried countless recipes, then, based on all those trials and successes and sometimes failures, I came up with a version that I really quite like. These are pretty classic…not cakey, but a little fluffy, somewhat chewy, with a nice lightly crisp exterior.

I don’t tend to sully my chocolate chip cookies with nuts (besides, my husband is allergic and he would be terribly sad if I “ruined” a batch of cookies with nuts) or other embellishments, but hey, if you love nuts by all means add them. Just be sure they are fresh and toasted. About 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds should do the trick.

As far as I’m concerned, and certainly as far as my Dad was ever concerned, no cookie swap, cookie platter, holiday or celebration is really complete without these in the mix.

Note: If you like, make a double batch, but be sure you have at least a 5 quart mixer.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (12-oz) bag bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Position 2 oven racks evenly in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugars, and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat on low just until combined. Add the chocolate chips and beat on low until evenly incorporated.





3. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the top looks firm, about 14 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. (The cookies are best the day they are made but will last for up to 3 days.)