Chocolate Chip Cookie Perfection!

This recipe I adapted from my friend Kim, The Baking ChocolaTess’, Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.  And let me tell you they are definitely the best Chocolate Chip Cookie I have ever had….and that’s saying something!!!  No, I mean it, they are THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE!!!  They are super soft on the inside and slightly crisp around the edges and packed and I mean packed with chocolate!

Let’s get started making these little nuggets of chocolate perfection.  Start by preheating your oven to 350°.  The first little tweak I made to this recipe is doubling it, because….duh, the more perfect cookies the better.  This mindset is why Kim is thin and I am not 😉  Anyway, this recipe will make about 4 dozen cookies.  If you have 4 baking sheets, use them.  If not make sure you allow the pans to cool between batches.

In medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, espresso powder (I always add a little espresso powder or instant coffee granules to anything chocolate to enhance the chocolate flavor) and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time and blend well after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Gradually add the flour to the bowl until the mixture is just combined.  It is important not to over mix the dough.  You want the cookies to be tender and over mixing will make them tough.Another little tweak I made to the recipe is to add a combination of chocolate chips.  I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. They are bigger than the average chocolate chip and keep them from being too sweet.  The second type of chips I added are mini milk chocolate chips.  The are tiny and sly and easily disperse throughout the cookies and provide a nice balance to the bittersweet chips.   Of course you can add whatever chips you like.  But when you add them to the cookie dough mix for just a few seconds, until they are just blended in.  Do not over mix!  Or, you can mix them in by hand, as advised by the ChocolaTess…but I’m lazy so I use the mixer!Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.  If you have 4 baking sheets use them.  If not, allow pans to cool between batches.   Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, portion cookies onto the parchment. Using this size scoop you will be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet pan.  This time I ended up with this much cookie dough left over…so you can bake another cookie and a half….or do the right thing and just eat the cookie dough.  Cook’s treat!!Put the sheet pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes prior to baking.  Chilling the dough and the pan keeps the cookies from spreading too much and makes for a thicker chewier cookie.

Another little trick you can do for extra cute cookies is to place some chocolate chips on the tops of the cookies after they are scooped just so they look perfect after they bake.  Of course they look delish without the extra adornment…but a few extra chips on top just adds a little something special…see what I mean?Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes.  The cookies should be slightly brown around the edges.  Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing.  Of course in my house half of the cookies are eaten warm right off the rack and never make it to a container.And since it’s Christmas time right now, I’ll give you the inside scoop….Santa loves these cookies too!  So leave him a big plate of this Chocolate Chip Cookie Perfection and maybe he’ll leave a little something extra for you under the tree!!

Please go see the fantastic food blog of The Baking ChocolaTess to see the all of her fantastic cookie recipes and other awesome sweet treats.