Elevated Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

If I say the word “cookie”, there’s a high chance you’re thinking about chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are an American classic and are enjoyed around the world too. The traditional recipe for chocolate chip cookies works wonders, but what if a few small tweaks can elevate it? Inspired by “sheldo’s kitchen”, a YouTube channel run by a former contestant on The Great Canadian Baking Show, this recipe is meant to create a chewier cookie with a crisp edge. This is opposed to the traditionally very soft cookie. The main difference in this recipe is the use of browned butter and less flour. Let’s learn how to make these cookies.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unsalted butter

2 tbsp. water

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1¼ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Flaky sea salt as desired

• We first need to make the browned butter. Place your butter in a small pot and place it over medium heat. Keep stirring your butter occasionally so that it does not stick to the sides.
• Eventually, you will see the butter bubbling; it should be making a crackling noise. Keep stirring until you see brown bits form at the bottom and the butter starts to smell nutty. When that occurs, immediately add the 2 tablespoons of water. Doing this ensures that we retain the water content lost during the browning.
• Pour your browned butter in a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Add both kinds of sugar to the butter. Add the vanilla extract as well. Mix until combined.
• The YouTuber who created this recipe suggested vigorously whisking the butter-sugar mixture for one minute. Doing this will incorporate air into the batter and lighten its color.
• At this point, add the egg into the mixture. Add your measures of salt and the baking soda too. I recommend sifting the baking soda to ensure no lumps. No one wants to bite into a lump of baking soda.
• Now it’s time to add the flour. Add the flour in batches because it is more difficult to incorporate lots of flour at once. Mix just until it is combined. Do not overmix the flour because that will make the cookie too dense.
• Add the chocolate chips and mix it into the batter. Feel free to add more or less chocolate chips. I recommend using Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• If your batter is too sticky, place it in the fridge until you can comfortably roll the dough into balls. You can also use a cookie scooper to portion your cookies.
• On a baking tray, line parchment paper or aluminum foil. Grease your parchment or foil with butter or baking spray.
• Take a dough ball, roughly the size of a golf ball, and slightly flatten it. Place the cookies on the baking tray with ample space apart. In a standard baking tray, I recommend baking 6 at a time. Since the cookies expand, we don’t want them to merge and become one giant cookie.
• You can sprinkle some flaky sea salt at this point if desired. The sea salt adds a nice contrast in flavor.
• Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place your batch of cookies in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes. The cookies are done when they have expanded, and the edges turn golden brown. Every oven is different, so start to monitor your cookies around the 8-9 minute mark.
• Let the cookies cool for 5 – 10 minutes on the tray and optionally cool them on a wire rack after. Enjoy them at room temperature!

The browned butter adds a subtle flavor of nuttiness to the cookie. This improved version certainly creates a chewier cookie that holds its own. Don’t forget to dunk your cookies in a glass of milk!