Tried and True CC Cookies

So.

A week ago Sunday, we started the week with 5 pounds of butter in the fridge.

Yes, 5 pounds.

Now, most normal people would have to freeze some of that unsalted butter, in order to not let it spoil before using. Note the words "normal people". Three days later, there was not a cube of butter to be found in our house. It began with the 8 PM Sunday night ritual of cc cookie making and baking.

Why choc chip?
1. I always have all of the ingredients.
2. It's a treat I can throw together in less than 5 minutes, without looking at the recipe.
3. We can have a batch of cookies mixed, baked and cooled in about 30 minutes or less. Important when your kid says - " Mom, can we make cookies after dinner to take to _____?? " (insert friend who needs cookies, or a girl/guy you want to find an excuse to visit on Sunday night)- Translation: Mom, can you make some cookies for me? FAST.
Almost every time we give away cookies, a recipe request follows.

It's the Toll House recipe. Right on the back of the package.

No, it's not.

Yes, it is.

No, It's not.

Serious. Okay, a couple of slight changes. So here it is, by popular demand, the ever famous Tried and True Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, with modifications, step by step photos and secret recipe hints. Wink, wink. Let me know how they turn out for you.

Step 1 - Throw the slightly soft butter into the bowl. Start beating.

2- Add the sugars, beat some more.

3- Eggs, throw them both in, add the vanilla, beat again. Don't over beat. 

Are you wondering how many times I can use the word "beat" in this post?

4- It should look like this. Should be smooth, sweet.

FYI- rule in cc cookie making - taste it. Now.

Salmonella - pfshhhh.

5- Throw in all of the dry ingredients (less 1/2 cup of the flour), along with the choc chips.

6- Mix. No beating. More like folding at this point.

LOW speed. For 5 seconds, maybe 10. Add the rest of the flour.
Look at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Stop mixing when flour disappears.

7- Scoop.

8- Big scoops are good. 6 per pan.

9- Beautiful convection baked cookie.

The next cookie was baked using the same batch of dough, same time as the cookie above....

10- Inferior step sister cookie. aka- cookie baked in standard oven.

Sweet on the inside, but not quite as beautiful on the outside.

Tried and True Chocolate Chip Cookies

(adapted from Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe)
print recipe

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour* (make sure to read note below) (updated 5/2013)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (not margarine), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups  or 1 (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375° F. If using convection, preheat to 375 as well.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating well. Stir in flour mixture and chocolate chips all together, taking care to not over mix. Using a cookie scoop, drop onto ungreased baking sheets. I use a large scoop, and place 6 cookies per baking sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of your hand.
Bake for 7-10 minutes on middle rack until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets completely.
This recipe yields 18 large cookies.

Tips:

(or my mini-epistle on cc cookie making & baking)

Updated with more detail, and the amount of flour I always use- 2 3/4 cups.  The original recipe said:
 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups flour . 

-Only use butter. Unsalted is best. The butter should be more firm than room temperature butter. I take it straight out of the refridge, and microwave it for about 20 seconds.

-*Our altitude is about 4,400 ft. So, I use about 2 3/4 cups flour total. The original recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups. If you are at sea level, you will probably need less flour.

-Don't over beat the butter sugar mixture, or the batter will become too soft, and your cookies will not be beautiful and puffy. They will resemble pancakes. 

-Don't sift the flour.

-There is a notable difference between using a convection and a standard oven (see pics above). If you bake at the same temperature, for the same amount of time, the convection cookie will be done, with a beautiful, golden, slightly crispy outer layer. Still soft on the inside. And it will be taller than the cookie baked in a standard oven. Not everyone has a convection oven- if you don't, you can still bake a great cookie using a standard oven.

-I think two of the biggest mistakes made while baking cookies are:

1-Over mixing. This will cause the batter have too much air incorporated, producing a fluffy, instead of a chewy cookie.

2- Over baking. Under baking is good! Not under baked to the point the cookie is doughy, but just until the top sets, and the dough looks like it has a bit of a crust.

-Chocolate chips - For semi sweet, I use Nestle Semi Sweet chips. You can't go wrong here. But for Milk Chocolate, we prefer Guittard. The chips are bigger. I think they are called Maxi Chips.

- High Altitude info: Not recommended-directions on Nestle Choc Chip package for high altitude- I have tried this variation, and don't like the result. The cookies aren't quite sweet enough, and have a crispy more cake like texture. Here are the directions on the package: (again I do NOT recommend using this method, but have printed it here as an FYI)  Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

-Last tip. Mound the cookie into a ball. I make them about the size of a golf ball. I use a cookie scoop, because it's easier for me. For years, I just used a spoon, and then shaped them by hand. Make sure to flatten the cookie just a bit before baking.

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