chocolate chip cookies

in response to my recent waiting period with vision, creativity and direction in the kitchen, i’m finding comfort in returning to the “fundamental” recipes - the classics! foundations are necessary for playgrounds, after all.

chocolate chip cookies. just the pantry staples and a bit of love.

chewy, slightly crunchy around the edges, and best in my opinion finished with a very generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes.

also, very much a caramel forward cookie. you’ll notice this recipe does not call for browned butter. i explain more on why below. please do not brown the butter - the cookies won’t come out as intended.

in my personal world, i would also reduce the amount of chocolate by 100-150 grams. i know chocolate is literally the highlight of the cookie, but i really like tasting the base flavors of butter and caramel. maybe i should just start making “boneless” chocolate chip cookies.

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flour: all-purpose or sonora can be used for this recipe. all are optimal choices for minimal gluten development, resulting in a very tender cookie. sonora will lend a little more flavor, and is very complimentary to butter.

fat: butter is essential for flavor and moisture in a cookie. this recipe calls for melted butter. when butter is just gently melted, it maintains water content. when butter is browned, the water content evaporates. for this recipe, we want to maintain the water content. during the mixing process, the sugars will dissolve due to the remaining water in the melted butter and you’ll notice a smoother texture. this develops a more caramel-forward flavored cookie, which is sometimes overlooked in my opinion. when butter is browned, it’s absolutely delicious, but i find the nuttiness can overpower the caramel notes. chocolate chip cookies are supposed to have strong notes of caramel, and the gently melted butter ultimately helps us achieve that.

cookies made with melted butter are also a little denser, chewier, and tend to spread more when baked, so an overnight chill is preferred, though not necessary.

milk powder: an ingredient i believe should be a staple in every baker’s pantry due to it’s versatility and affordability. milk powder contributes to these cookies’ chewy center and tender bite, and the added proteins aid in creating the crunchier edges.

eggs: one whole egg for structure, plus a yolk for a little extra moisture and richness.

sugar: dark brown sugar is prominent here. it contributes to the overall caramel flavor, and chewy texture. the darker the sugar, the better the flavor.

chocolate: my go-to grocery store pick will always be guittard’s semi-sweet chocolate wafers. combined with a handful of mini chocolate chips, you develop interesting pockets and layers of chocolate. lately, i have been combining those two with chopped chocolate for even more diverse textures.

commercialized chocolate chip morsels, such as nestle, will also work just fine here. since those chips are on the sweeter side, try and squeeze in some darker chocolate as well if you’d like.

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makes: about 24 cookies | prep time: 20 minutes | chill time: 30 minutes - 12 hours | bake time: 10-11 minutes per sheet

• 226 grams salted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 305 grams dark brown sugar

• 55 grams dark brown sugar reserved

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 large egg cold

• 1 large yolk cold

• 30 grams milk powder either whole or non-fat is fine

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 275 grams all-purpose flour

• 300 grams semi-sweet chocolate chopped, wafers or morsels

• flakey sea salt for after baking

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1. in a small saucepan, melt 226 grams salted butter gently over low heat until just melted. remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. the butter should be warm, barely hot.

2. to a large bowl, combine 305 grams dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. pour the melted butter over the sugar and combine together well using a whisk.

3. pour in 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, followed by 1 cold large egg from the fridge. whisk until well combined. whisk in 1 large egg yolk until well combined.

4. to the batter, add 30 grams milk powder. whisk well until no streaks of dry milk powder remain, and follow with 1 teaspoon baking soda.

5. switch to a rubber spatula. to the bowl, add 275 grams all purpose flour and 300 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, wafers or morsels. use the rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together.

6. halfway through folding, sprinkle the remaining 55 grams of dark brown sugar over the dough, and continue to fold until no streaks of dry flour remain, and the chocolate looks evenly distributed.

7. scoop cookie dough into a container or onto a parchment lined baking sheet. my scoop weighs out roughly 1.5 ounce scoops, or 3 tablespoons. embellish the scoops of dough with more chocolate pieces if desired. cover securely and move to the fridge for a 12 hour rest. if you’re needing a cookie immediately, bake after chilling for an hour.

8. when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F.

9. bake the cookies, 6 cookies to a 13x18” sheet pan, for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark.

10. sprinkle the cookies generously with sea salt straight out of the oven, and allow them to rest on the sheet pan no more than 3 minutes before carefully moving them to a cooling rack.

enjoy! i hope your week is kind.