I have tried baking chocolate chip cookies several times, and just had zero luck. My cookies either came out flat, hard, burnt on the bottom ……. or a bit of all of those things, sad, I know. Recently, I took my baking skills to a whole new level; I feel like I am a chocolate chip cookie baking Jedi!

The other night, my girls and I were having a bake out so we could hand out our annual Christmas treats to the neighbors. We usually bake peanut butter kiss cookies, sugar cookies, and add chocolate throughout our Christmas treat cans. I will admit that every year we attempt to bake chocolate chip cookies, trying different recipes, but never have they came out gift worthy. While my girls and I were baking, one of my girlfriends stopped by and shared her recipe that she uses for her cookies.

Let me say, I am so glad that she paid us a visit when she did because her cookie recipe is a recipe that I will forever use.

Okay, okay….. so what is the magic cookie recipe? Let’s just jump into it!

For the most part, the ingredients are pretty basic: flour, salt, butter, eggs, granulated and brown sugar, vanilla extract, cornstarch, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Cornstarch isn’t an absolute must, IF you just don’t have any in your cabinets, but it definitely contributes to making that, “I’ve been a baker for a while, difference. The cornstarch helps with the chewy thickness of the cookie. My first time around, I did not have any cornstarch while baking these yummies and they still came out pretty delicious, so don’t get all of your hopes up if making a last minute run to the store isn’t in the cards for you.

This recipe will make anywhere from 3&1/2 to 4 dozens of cookies, depending on the size of your cookies.

Ingredients & Their Measurements

• 2 & a 1/4 cups (280g) of flour
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (100g)
• 3/4 (150g) packed light or dark sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 3/4 unsalted butter (1.5 sticks / 170g)
• 1 large egg & 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 &1/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup of walnuts

Instructions

Part One.

• MIX 2 & a 1/4 cups (280g) of flour with
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt &
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch in a large bowl. Set it aside for now.

Part Two.

• In another bowl, medium sized, whisk 3/4 (150g) packed light or dark sugar with a
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (100g) with
• 3/4 unsalted butter (1.5 sticks / 170g), FULLY MELTED but not overly melted to where it’ s hot, cool as possible. Mix these three ingredients until the sugar is completely mixed with no clumps. Now, whisk in
• 1 large egg & 1 egg yolk at room temperature and following that, whisk in
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Now, pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients & mix together. The dough will be thick, but soft and possibly have a sticky texture to it. Now that the dough is just about ready, add in
• 1 &1/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks by folding/kneading them in. Something that is optional, but I love doing, is adding
• 3/4 cup of walnuts. I technically do not use a measuring cup for the chocolate chips or the walnuts; I add what I think is best. These measurements are mainly at your own discretion.

Part Three.

• Now that your dough is completely done, refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours. Personally, I refrigerate it over night. Chilling is a very crucial step to this recipe. The chilling plays a huge part in how the cookie will spread throughout the baking process.

Part Four.

• Take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to soften for about 10-15 minutes, making it room temperature and easy to ball up either within your hands or with a scooper.

Part Five.

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees (163 C). It is recommended that you line your cooking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Part Six.

• Roll the dough into little balls; I use about a tablespoon size of dough. The dough can become crumby and leave a sticky residue on your hands, just continue to ball the dough up; the warmth of your hands will mend it all together. To make the cookies nice and fluffy, I usually shape my balls of dough into mini mountains, almost like little Hershey kisses. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just to where the bottom of the cookie is wider than the top of the soon to be cookie. If you want to cookies to look as delicious as they’re going to taste, gently press a few chips into the top of your cookie dough balls prior to putting them into the oven.

Part Seven.

• Bake the cookies for 11&1/2-12 minutes. I like to take the cookies out to where its slightly questionable if they are actually done or not. This will allow that nice, chewy, soft texture to the center of your cookie.

Part Eight.

• Once your cookies are done, place them to a cooling rack. By moving them over to a cooling rack, this prevents the bottom of your cookies from continuing to bake.

Part Nine.

• Now ENJOY!!!!

What makes this cookie recipe stand out more than your other chocolate chip cookie recipes? Honestly, any and everything different about this recipe, opposed to other recipes, mainly focuses on how to make your cookies as chewy as possible as well at their most fluffiest!! The cornstarch, as I mentioned earlier, makes the cookies nice and thick. Also, keep in mind that by making the ball of dough, mountain like on your baking sheet, will help make it fluffy too. Adding to the fluffy aspect of the cookie, one of the MOST important things to keep in mind for these chewy, fluffy cookies is to refrigerate the dough. Melting the butter completely is another key! Most recipes call for softened butter. Melting the butter contributes to making the cookie chewy. Another addition to making the cookie super chewy is adding an extra egg yolk. I read that by using more brown sugar than white sugar will help with the moisture of the cookie. Personally, I just like using brown sugar in most of my recipes, I usually used it for taste, but now I can actually give you more reason as why to use it. To finish up with all of the Chocolate Chip Cookie secrets….. UNDERBAKE!!!