Baked's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve got my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s the same recipe I’ve baked for years, and the recipe that won me a blue ribbon at the Ohio State Fair last year. It’s the perfect cookie for me, so I’ve stopped looking for another. But with 2 pounds of chocolate and 2 types of flour, neither of which is the staple all-purpose I always keep on hand, it’s not really a “whip up a batch” kind of recipe. So for a coworker’s housewarming party, I decided to actually try a different recipe—one that I could possibly use in the future for that sudden chocolate chip cookie craving without having to make yet another trip to the grocery store.

I decided on the recipe in Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. I was already using their recipe for the Baked Brownies, and the cookie recipe looked easy enough. The raw dough tastes REALLY good. I’m ashamed to admit how much cookie dough I ate, but let’s just say it was enough to make my stomach hurt a bit, and I was short about 5 cookies from my batch... I’ve never had issues with not chilling my cookie dough before baking, so with other things to bake immediately after, I deliberately skipped that step in the recipe, which in hindsight maybe I shouldn’t have. The dough was really soft, and after 5 minutes in the oven, the cookies were 3 inch puddles.

They spread a LOT, leaving the edges really thin, and the centers a cluster of chocolate chips that refused to bake. After 12 minutes, the edges were overly browned and the centers were still raw. Those wouldn’t be headed to the party with me.

The second round, I dropped the temperature to 350F, made smaller cookies with a 1-inch scoop instead of a 2-inch, and chilled for 20 minutes in the fridge before popping them into the oven. Those came out a little better, but still browned much more than I would have liked around the edges, and some of them still came out raw in the center. Round 3, I smashed down with my hand hoping they would spread more evenly, but to no avail. They came out exactly the same as all the others. Overly browned and still slightly squishy. Because I’m an absolute perfectionist, none of them would be heading to the party with me.

Taste wise, they were okay. I’d eat them if they were put on a plate in front of me (which isn’t really saying much, because I’ll eat just about any cookie put on a plate in front of me), but they’re definitely missing the depth of my go-to recipe. Even Boyfriend, upon first bite, said, “This is a different recipe,” and seemed very underwhelmed by them. There’s just something about them that seems to be lacking. But the good news is I did find someone who seemed to like them—oddly enough, it’s my cat. A little piece fell off while I was eating one and he gobbled it up! And ate every single one of the small pieces I broke off for him! (Don’t worry. I made sure none of it had any chocolate in it.) So unfortunately, even though the cat approved, Baked’s Chocolate Chips don’t make the cut for my perfect easy batch. The search continues.

---

Baked's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Makes 24 large cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

3. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

5. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop for large cookies, or a 1-inch cookie scoop for medium sized cookies, scoop out dough. Roll dough into balls with your hands and place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the edges are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.

6. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.