If there is a perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, this one may be it. It comes from America’s Test Kitchen so you know it’s going to be delicious and the recipe isn’t as fussy as many of the other “best” chocolate chip cookie recipes. You don’t have to use a mixer, worry about softening your butter, or refrigerate the dough for two days before baking.
This is a chewy chocolate chip cookie with crispy edges. It’s not doughy or undercooked like a Mrs. Fields cookie because you let the cookies cool completely on the cookie tray. It has a richer flavor because you brown the butter before adding the other ingredients. My daughter loved them and asked if I added caramel to the cookies.
Last week I stopped by the delicious Sugar and Spice and All Things Iced. BreAna’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies looked irresistible and I thought they would be the perfect addition to my 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies. The recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated and BreAna posted links to several other bloggers who also loved this cookie, as well as a link to a nice video of the America’s Test Kitchen episode at Serious Eats.
My daughter wasn’t the only one who loved these cookies. We all devoured them. I made a few changes to accommodate my high altitude (about 4,000 feet). My adapted recipe is below. Let me know if you try them and think they’re perfect too!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3/8 teaspoon baking soda (in other words 1/2 teaspoon minus 1/8 teaspoon)
- 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup minus 2 tablespoon (3 ounces) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (5.2 ounces) packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 11/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)(I omitted)
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375º. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring pan constantly until butter is golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and pour browned butter in to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
- Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
- Use a #40 cookie scoop, or about 1 1/2 tablespoons dough, drop dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 8-12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely on the tray for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
adapted for high altitude baking from Cook’s Illustrated May/June 2009
Fairy Hobmother Giveaway:
I was recently visited by The Fairy Hobmother, Ian from Appliances Online. (They are currently promoting the Bosch Logixx range of appliances.) The Fairy Hobmother brought me a $50 Amazon gift certificate and he can bring you one too!
Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to be visited by the Fairy Hobmother. He found me when I commented on my sweet blogging friend and fabulous cook Megan’s Cookin’s Caprese Quinoa Salad post. Thanks Megan and Ian!
Be sure and check out all of the fabulous cookies the other 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies (and sweets) bakers baked up for this week.
Some of the links in my posts may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting Barbara Bakes when you shop!
I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
the step by step pics are great. i love the christmas box
so pretty !
I will have to give these a try. I usually am not disappointed w/ an ATK recipe. We will see how it compares to a Shirley Corriher recipe that I like to use. Her’s are wonderful, with the toasted pecans coated w/ melted butter before mixing in w/ the cookie dough. The Christmas cookie tin put a big smile on my face. So cute!
They look wonderful! I’d lopve to have one now with my tea…
Cheers,
Rosa
I’m a new fan of browned butter every since I made those rice krispy treats with it. I bet these are perfect, the pictures tell me so. A must try! I’m so glad the Fairy Hobmother picked you. You’ll have to let me know what you buy.
Barbara,
Thanks for adjusting for high altitudes so I don’t have too. It’s a nice change and the cookies look beautiful.
I am glad you liked them too. I thought the browned butter was a great addition to the cookies. I’ll have to try them again with your high altitude adjustments. I didn’t even think about that. Thank you for linking to my blog! It completely made my day!
BreAna your cookies look so perfect I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for posting the recipe!
These cookies look delicious! It’s really sad, but, I totally want to eat a big scoop of that dough….haha
I always love trying ‘best of’ recipes. I have tried the NY Times Chocolate Chip cookies and they were pretty amazing too.
you can’t ever go wrong with a good CCC. I haven’t made any in so long but I think this is the next recipe to try!
Barbara – these DO look like the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Wish I had a few of them right now to enjoy.
These cookies look delicious! They are really perfect for Holiday gift-giving.
Love that cookies tin you have, so festive.
Congratulations on your Fairy Hopmother’s visit.
How fun to get an Amazon gift card just in time for some holiday shopping.
prescribing richer …. you have done great photo kisses Marimi
I can’t wait to try these! They look fabulous!
These cookies look delicious Barbara! gloria
oh yum! They look perfect to me!
If these are perfect the i will trust you and make these – i have been looking for the perfect cookies
I love your little storage box 
I will have to try these…love that you showed us your high altitude adjustments; I typically post the original recipe and just do the HA for mine.
I made some chocolate chip cookies with brown butter a couple of weeks ago that I deemed my favorite so will have to do a cookie bakeoff in my kitchen soon.
They look wonderfull….Yummmmyyyy
I’m always game to try yet another chocolate chip recipe. They are welcome in my house and will always get eaten. That blog hop looks interesting.
Barbara thanks for the high altitude adjustments. I’ll try them soon. They look delicious!
I cannot WAIT to make these, Barbara. Chocolate Chip Cookies Are my Downfall & my First Love.
)))
These would have to be pretty good to beat your chewy chocolate chip cookies. I make them all the time and get so many requests.
I’ll have to give these ones a go too.
These look great. I always like to try new chocolate chip cookies and America’s Test Kitchen is pretty reliable to say the least. I will have to remember these next time I make a batch.
nothing like a perfect chocolate chip cookie! they are my cam’s favorite cookie!
I do love a classic chocolate chip (though I would be hard to pick between ATK and my dads – I love both!). These look delicious and are perfect for 12WCC’s because I can’t imagine a holiday without them!
I love a great chocolate chip cookie and that there are so many different variations! And like someone already posted, you can’t really go wrong with an ATK recipe. Glad you are participating in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!
I’m always looking for new chocolate chip cookies to make. My all time favorite cookie. With your rave reviews I’ll have to give them a try.
You had my complete attention when you mentioned caramel. I can’t wait to try this out. My husband will love it!
Looks delish!
Mmm.. I’m always on the search to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie! Definitely trying this out!
How exciting! And I know that if you say that it is the perfect chocolate chip cookie then it certainly is!
xxx
Anything with chocolate has got to be delicious!
There are so mnay recipes for ccc and I have a fav and trusted one too. More recipes are welcome because of them being iresistable
Oh I love those cookies. Chocolate Chip are my favorite and even though I thought I had my go to recipe I must give these a try! I am always up for something new! LOL!
OMGoodness Barbara, I always look for ideas to bring up borth for my son and his college buddies and this is perfect!! I am sure th eguys would love these chocolate chip cookies and great blog hop!!
I haven’t baked cookies since the baby arrived. I miss them! Wish I had a plate of these now:)
Wow, they really do look perfect, Barbara! And, your photos are getting better and better!
oh my goodness, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, these look SO good! i have got to try this recipe!
These chocolate chip cookies sure so look amazing to me! My kids would love these as an after school treat
These look so good. Will you send one over to my office like right now? Maybe two?
My little family would love these. Always looking for chocolate chip perfect-ness. Altitude of 4000 feet, are you in Colorado?
These cookies are actually on my list to make. It’s not just the browned butter, it’s also the sitting and stirring of the batter that intrigues me. Guess they’re making their way through the blogosphere, as most ATK recipes do.
I would really like to take one of those cookies and dip it in milk <3
Cool cookies completely on the rack? Are you serious here? You haven’t been to my house LOL. These sound great and I will have to try them. I haven’t had a storebought choco chip cookie in ages because I just don’t like them anymore, no matter what the brand.
I see you are gearing for Christmas – I’ll be lucky if I get a pumpkin carved this year
Take care.
Hi Libby – that’s the same thing I thought when I read the recipe. lol Not eating a hot cookie is almost impossible at my house too. You are so right, homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies are infinitely better than anything you can buy, no matter the recipe. Enjoy!
Your cookie photo collage has convinced me to try this recipe! Oh my!
I just discovered your blog today and am having fun browsing! You should see a little bump in your impressions tonight.
I, too, posted these wonderfully perfect chocolate chip cookies–they are making the blog rounds for good reason. As I noted in my posting, this cookie may just the “the one.”
http://www.fransfavs.com/2011/10/perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies/#more-1945