Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Make the World Go ‘Round

It’s the treat realtors tell their sellers to bake when they have an open house so the house smells like a home.  And it’s what Cookie Monster has been chomping on for 50 years. 

Yes, it’s the revered chocolate chip cookie. The old standby.  The standard bearer of cookies.

This cookie is such a special treat that it has its own National Day on August 4^th.

A Brief History of Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Where did this beloved cookie get its start?

We have Ruth Wakefield to thank. She owned the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetss and invented this chocoltay chunk of goodness in the 1930s.

Apparently Ms. Wakefield’s invention was no happy accident.  With a degree in household arts, it was most likely the result of diligent testing and development. 

Her restaurant was known for its desserts and she invented these cookies with the intention of serving them with ice cream. 

That was back in the day before so many flavors of ice cream were around so the chocolate morsels were most likely intended to be served alongside vanilla ice cream. 

Legend has it that she ran out of baker’s chocolate and substituted the now-standard semi-sweet morsels.

Her delectable creation was featured on the Betty Crocker radio program later in the decade. 

And homemade chocolate chip cookies have been a staple in most kitchens since then.

The Allure of Off-The-Chain Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

The aroma is alluring and there’s something comforting about enjoying one fresh out of the oven.

My chocolate chip cookie recipe is called “Off-the-Chain Chocolate Chip Cookies.” That’s slang for super good!

We all have our own take on what makes a perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe shared with me by a chef friend of mine does some cool things that you need to give a try. It’s the best of what you remember your grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies to be but with a modern twist.

• Using kosher salt both in the mixture as well as sprinkled on top of the finished cookies
• Mixing in semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips
• Browning the butter in the basic mixture which gives a nutty flavor
• Adding in espresso powder for a richer, deeper flavor

 So much for reading the recipe off the back of the chip package.  

I bet you could almost taste the zip in these cookies once I said “espresso powder.” 

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Enjoy delicious chunks of chocolate in every bite with this luxurious cookie. This recipe combines the best of what you remember about your grandmother’s semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies, but with a modern twist.

• Author: Life At The Table

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoons water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350˚F.
2. Cube butter into 3/4″ cubes.
3. Brown the butter on low heat in a small pot. As the butter melts it will begin to bubble and foam; there will be small eruptions on the surface of the butter as the water evaporates. Adjust the heat to maintain a nice sizzle, but not a boil. Once you begin to see a brown ring around the butter in the pot, the butter is browned. You will also see browned milk solids that have fallen to the bottom of the pot. Once the butter is browned add 1 tablespoon of water to the butter and cool it by placing it in an ice bath (described in the next step).
4. While the butter melts, prepare an ice bath to cool the butter. You will need a heat proof container for the butter and a bowl filled with ice that will fit into the ice bath without the chance of ice water getting into the butter or the butter tipping over and spilling into the ice bath. Prep the bowl with the ice, but don’t add water. Once the butter has browned, pour the butter into your heat-proof container. Add the water to the ice and place the heat-proof container of butter into the ice bath.
5. Remove the butter from the ice bath after it has cooled, about 5-7 minutes. Some of the butter will be congealed on the bottom of the bowl.
6. While the butter cools, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
7. Scrape the cooled butter into a mixing bowl.
8. Cream the cooled butter with the brown and white sugars, vanilla and espresso powder to the butter for 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer.
9. Add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture; mix until just incorporated.
10. Stir the flour into the butter mixture in thirds scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure all the flour gets incorporated.
11. Stir the semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips into the flour mixture.
12. Using your hands, form dough balls about 1″ in diameter.
13. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet at least 3″ apart.
14. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
15. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
16. Sprinkle with additional kosher salt (or flaky sea salt) as desired.