Extra Bitter Chocolate Chip Soft Cookies

It is one of those times that i started to have the mood to bake. So.. I start googling 'Soft Cookie Recipe' online.

There were quite a bit of recipes out there. But... i decided to try out this one. Mainly because she had quite an extensive explaination on her cookie making process. I like her tips. Really something to remember.

Quoting (or pasting) her tips:-

"Underbaked cookies are the secret to softness. Using cornstarch in the dough is another secret to softness, as well as the secret to thickness. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie.  Adding an extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be taller than wider increases thickness. Using melted butter (and slightly more flour) increases chewiness. Chilling the dough results in a thicker cookie."

I did my first batch... and it was not too bad. Here's her recipe...

Ingredients:

    2 and 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
    3/4 cup (135 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
    1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
    1 large egg + 1 egg yolk*
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 cup (180 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Directions:-

Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula.

The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Chilling is mandatory.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick.

Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature. Cookies may be frozen up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 12 minutes.

Additional Notes:

*Salted butter may be used instead. Reduce salt in the cookie dough to 1/4 teaspoon.

Room temperature egg + egg yolk are preferred for even disbursement.  Typically, if a recipe calls for room temperature or melted butter, it's a good idea to use room temperature eggs as well.  To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.

Try it!