EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

If you can't rotate between pans, run them under cool water to bring the temperature down and dry well before you bake another batch.

In the category of “BEST and Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes,” these get my vote for the greatest. They are a Toll House cookies’ cousin, but I think my nips, tucks, tweaks and variation on the classic recipe makes them their own kind of wonderful.

They are thin and crisp and a bit chewy in the center from just the right mix of sugars - granulated sugar for crispiness and brown sugar for deep caramel flavor.

I’ve made these homemade chocolate chip cookies with just about every kind of chocolate known to mankind with satisfying results, but my all-time favorite way is to chop up premium chocolate, not worry about cutting it into uniform sizes or shapes. Having chunks, chips and slivers makes the eating more fun, and I love the way the shapes look when the cookies are baked - streaked, marbled, and totally tempting. Drum roll...now I offer you Dorie Greenspan's easy chocolate chip cookie recipe.

WORLD’S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup homemade brown sugar, packed
2 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 2 cups milk or semisweet chocolate (I like to use Dove chocolate)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together; set aside.

Beat the butter on medium for 1 minute or until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes until well blended. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in.

Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate and nuts. At this point, the dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen.

If you like, you can freeze rounded tablespoons of dough, ready for baking. Freeze the mounds on a lined baking sheet, then bag them when they’re solid. There’s no need to defrost the dough before baking, just add another minute or two to the baking time.

Spoon the dough be slightly rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about two inches between spoonfuls.

Bake the cookies - one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point for 10-12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center; they may still be a little soft in the middle, and that’s fine.

Pull the sheet from the oven and allow cookies to rest for one minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

VARIATIONS TO THE EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

Coco Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use 1-1/4 cups flour and 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Proceed with recipe.

Expresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Add 1-1/2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder after you add the vanilla extract.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use 1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter. You can use chunky or smooth, but it’s best not to use natural peanut butter because it does not give you the right texture. Beat them together before adding the sugars. Use salted peanuts instead of walnuts or pecans.

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup malted milk powder. Proceed with the recipe.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Add 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted or not, to the dough when you fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. You could also add dried bits of apricots too.





Here's a twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe.

EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE II

2-1/2 cups regular rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup homemade brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 milk chocolate candy bar, grated

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees and take out your cookie sheets.

In a bowl, combine the first ingredients and set aside.

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 30 seconds and add the sugars; beating until completely combined. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture slowly and beat as much as you can with your mixer. Stir in the rest and mix well. Add the chocolate chips, nuts and grated chocolate.

Drop 3 tablespoons of dough at a time on to the cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for two minutes and carefully transfer to wire racks.

This easy chocolate chip cookie recipe uses instant vanilla pudding. So moist and so good - a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that delivers "yum."

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup homemade brown sugar, packed
1 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
1 pkg Jell-O instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
1 pkg chocolate chips
1 cup nuts

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.

Combine butter, pudding, brown and white sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Add flour, chips and nuts; batter will be stiff. Drop by teaspoon on to cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

For the cookies to stay chewy, they need to be left on the cookie sheet until completely cooled. Also, the butter MUST be melted, and the flour should be all-purpose.

My suggestions to avoid cake-like cookies are: use real butter, be sure to melt the butter, and cool so you don't melt the chocolate chips. Don't over beat your eggs, and do NOT skip the extra egg yolk.

The cookie dough should be refrigerated for 1 hour until it is hard, or the cookies will turn out flat. Make sure to cool down the cookie sheet before baking another batch.

Fifteen minutes is the perfect time to bake these in my kitchen. The appearance of the PERFECTLY DONE cookie: If the edges are lightly browned, and the middle of the cookie looks slightly undone, they are done perfectly.

If you want these cookies to stay moist, put in sealed container after baking. If you want them crunchy, leave them exposed to air.
I use a melon baller to get the cookies at a good uniform size; 1 to 2 scoops depending on the size of the melon baller. Also, as every oven is different, my cookies come out perfect at 9 minutes, don't let the soft look fool you. They seem to continue to cook a bit after you take them out.

The cookies are done after 12 minutes even though they may not look it. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before using. That makes it much easier to handle.

These cookies DO NOT spread out at all when they cook, so feel free to put them close together as possible on the cookie sheet - it will save you time if you're making all 7 dozen.

For the cookies to stay chewy, they need to be left on the cookie sheet until completely cooled. Also, the butter MUST be melted, and the flour should be all-purpose.

My suggestions to avoid cake-like cookies are: use real butter, be sure to melt the butter, and cool so you don't melt the chocolate chips. Don't over beat your eggs, and do NOT skip the extra egg yolk.

The cookie dough should be refrigerated for 1 hour until it is hard, or the cookies will turn out flat. Make sure to cool down the cookie sheet before baking another batch.

Fifteen minutes is the perfect time to bake these in my kitchen. The appearance of the PERFECTLY DONE cookie: If the edges are lightly browned, and the middle of the cookie looks slightly undone, they are done perfectly.

If you want these cookies to stay moist, put in sealed container after baking. If you want them crunchy, leave them exposed to air. So here's another one of my best chocolate chip cookie recipes...

EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE III

4-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
two small pkgs instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 TBS pure vanilla extract
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. You will need an ungreased cookie sheet(s).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture.

Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

I have more than just easy chocolate chip cookie recipes - check out the links below...