5 All-Star Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Posted Wed, Jun 25, 2008, 12:26 pm PDT

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What makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie? The dough-to-chocolate ratio? The number of eggs? The quality of the chocolate? The baking time? The debate goes on. But after testing 40 variations, Cook's Illustrated has come up with the ultimate recipe. Here it is, along with our top recipe picks for when you're looking for a twist on the traditional.

#1 Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These truly chewy chocolate chip cookies are delicious served warm from the oven or cooled. To ensure a chewy texture, leave the cookies on the cookie sheet to cool. You can substitute white, milk chocolate, or peanut butter chips for the semi- or bittersweet chips called for in the recipe. In addition to chips, you can flavor the dough with one cup of nuts, raisins, or shredded coconut.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough's uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month -- shaped or not.)

4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets' positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Looking for something a little different? Check out the recipes below for inspiration....

#2 Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

# 3 Better-for-you Chocolate Chip Cookie

#4 Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

#5 Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookie

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13 Comments

1. Posted by ruthhof on Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 5:27 pm PDT

I've been making this recipe for years. I double it to make 24 and sell them at bake sales. People at my church now get MAD at me if I don't make THE cookies for the bake sale table. They really are the best. ever.
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2. Posted by hothicam2000 on Tue, Jul 01, 2008, 2:12 am PDT

brown sugar and then granulated sugar and baking soda what a spcial recipe!
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3. Posted by skittles2320 on Wed, Jul 02, 2008, 10:16 am PDT

This is amazing! I need to find this recipe and print it! OMG so good!!!!!!
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4. Posted by livyacyrious on Tue, Jul 08, 2008, 4:27 pm PDT

*yawn* I think my recipe is better. Less flour, less butter, less brown sugar, DESIRED AMOUNT OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS. And it's perfect. Same recipe just 2/3 cup shortening instead of butter, 1 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar. It's much better.
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5. Posted by uouo1976 on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 5:36 am PDT

ok
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6. Posted by lantawilson on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 11:11 am PDT

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES AND RASIN AND NUTS COOKIES ARE GREAT, THOSES SOUND REALLY GOOD, NANNY
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7. Posted by Peggy on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 11:26 am PDT

Shortening instead of butter in a cookie recipe? Nasty.....wouldn't touch it.
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8. Posted by Ronald W on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 11:41 am PDT

Why don't Chocolate Chip cookies taste like they used to? No matter what you do, they don't taste the same as years ago.
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9. Posted by Andrea on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 11:55 am PDT

Just use the Toll House recipe, they are always good. I also substitute shortening instead of butter and everyone loves my cookies. I don't like how flat butter makes the cookies, shortening makes them a little plumper and softer.
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10. Posted by shonda1501 on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 12:57 pm PDT

These recipes are so party like!!! OMG
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11. Posted by Michael D on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 3:39 pm PDT

My friends rave over my chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it's so easy! Make the Tollhouse Cookie recipe on the package, but add one cup of dried cranberries...you'll absolutely die when you taste them. And DON'T OVERBAKE!
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12. Posted by Michael D on Mon, Jul 28, 2008, 3:40 pm PDT

Peggy, I have an oatmeal butterscotch cookie recipe that calls for shortening, and it's one of the best ever! Don't knock it, sweetie.
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13. Posted by arladm on Wed, Aug 06, 2008, 6:12 am PDT

chocolate chip cookies are my favourite i always enjoy themmmmmm
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