Friday, June 12, 2009

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday. He earned major points by deciding that as an anniversary gift to each other, we would refinish the trellis we were married under and would secure it on the side of the house, surrounded by climbing rose bushes. His one other request for our celebration was for a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. (I might have accidentally planted this idea by stocking up on chocolate chips I recently found on sale... he just found the stash in the pantry!) I have to admit that I am normally the one reading the Toll House recipe off of the back of the bag of chips whenever making a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Don't get me wrong-- the reason I do this is because those cookies never fail! They are always delicious! For this occasion, however, I decided to try the recipe out of Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook. She completely converted me over! Dorie calls these cookies her 'best' and it is easy to see why. These were easy to throw together, as most chocolate chip cookies are, and they baked up within 10 minutes. I was a little cautious when I saw how much they spread in the oven. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your cookies when baking! By spreading so much, they got very thin and delicate and provided the perfect combination of chewy center with a crisp, crunchy shell. Each batch makes about 45 cookies... they are disappearing so quickly that I will probably have to double it next time! :)

(Another nice element of Dorie's recipe is that she gives tips for freezing dough balls for quick use later on. Really good information!)

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips* (I used semi-sweet)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (I omitted)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Working with a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute (or until smooth). Add the sguars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute after adding each. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing each stage only until incorporated. On low speed, or by hand, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon dough by slightly rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, and rotating the sheet midway through the baking time. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center. They might be a little soft in the center, and that is okay. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for about a minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling baking sheets between batches.

*Dorie recommends buying a better quality chocolate and creating your own chips if your time permits.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

82 comments:

  1. I have long been a fan of the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag. You have convinced me to give Dorie's recipe a try!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh! And how sweet about the rose trellis! That is just so DEAR! Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding anniversary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a sweet thing to do for your anniversary. Sounds like I need to try another great cookie recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. These look so pretty all tied up in a little bow. I'm always game for trying a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks and congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chocolate Chip Cookies tied in ribbon... truly my favorite gift to receive!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very Sweet. Happy Anniversary!

    The cookies look sweet as well! ;0)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy anniversary! What a sweet hubby you have, and what a thoughtfull wife you are to make him these great looking cookies! I've always heard that the way to a mans heart is through his stomack!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm making my husband chocolate chip cookies for Father's day-- he just loves them.

    The recipe on the back of the Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chip bag is delicious too! Much better than Toll House.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Monica-- I've never heard of those chips. Mind if I ask where you find them?

    Thanks!
    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those are good looking cookies! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gorgeous presentation. The cookies look absolutely delicious! SO nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very pretty! Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites, I can't wait to try these!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ooooo those look delicious! Happy Anniversary! I have that book too, will need to look these up and try them :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. mmm I love thin, chewy cookies! I'll definitely be giving this recipe a try =)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy, Happy Anniversary!! Kudos to Mike for his great idea about your trellis. I can't wait to see it with beautiful roses climbing it.

    Your cookies look delicious-I love your presentation with the ribbon. Very nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy Anniversary! The cookies look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This looks like a really fantastic cookie recipe - I am always on the lookout for a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, as they are my hubby's favourite. I will have to give these a try!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the story you shared with your cookies. Happy Anniversary!
    And great job on that cookie too. : )

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the story about the trellis, that's pretty romantic : ) Love the chocolate chip cookies.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love knowing there is someone out there who loves baking just as much as I do :) can't wait to try this recipe! they look fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I LOVE good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies! My healthy" friend recently challenged me to try hers...no refined sugar They are actually really good (i will be posting them on my blog soon), but nothing beats the real thing with a cold glass of milk!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, how lovely. I really am a fan of choc chip cookies and these look divine. Thanks for sharing the recipe. x

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kudos to your hubby for refinishing the trellis you were married under. Enjoy your SITS day.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow.. these sound yum.. gotta try them out pronto.. will keep you posted and yup, enjoy your SITS day!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Theses look yummy and I want to try them. How much butter (weight) is in a stick in the USA? Happy SITS day.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi, here from SITS. These look super yummy. :) Of course now i have a huge craving for choco chip cookies. :D

    ReplyDelete
  27. You know, I haven't tried Dorie's. In part because I have a recipe I truly, truly love, but maybe I need to give Dorie a try. I totally would have done the VERY same substitutions! I'm a big believer that nuts have no place in chocolate chip cookies! Happy SITS day to you again!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Happy Anniversary! Yeah, I'm a Toll House gal myself. Pure laziness on my part! Thanks for sharing... the bow is a nice touch!

    ReplyDelete
  29. 45 cookies sounds like a lot but I guess if they're so good and you have a family, they wouldn't last very long.

    Happy SITS day!

    http://karen.pnn.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. great blog, love new recipies, Im building a new home, which is nearly ready, and I intend to cook up a storm all the time with my big new flashy kitchen, so I'll follow your blog now to ensure I get up to date recipies! (sits)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I don't know girl, my Mom makes some killer cookies! But maybe I'm just saying that bc she's my Mom. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  32. It is almost time to start baking Christmas cooking. I bake ahead of time and freeze them. I like the idea of freezing the dough and baking when you need them.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I have always been a Toll House girl too. But I am so going to have to try these.

    ReplyDelete
  34. He definitely gets BIG hubby points! I was just talking the other day about how it's just easier to buy the chocolate chip cookie stuff rather than make it from scratch...but looking at that stack of cookies...now I am thinking it's worth the effort. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  35. You can never lose with a good chocolate chip recipe. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Love the Tollhouse cookies too..but definatley will give this recipe a try

    ReplyDelete
  37. Oh man, now I'm drooling!! My oldest son has an egg allergy, so we use a product called Ener-G as an egg replacer and it works well with the Tollhouse recipe, but I'll have to try it with this recipe. I've found that the secret to the best cookies is to use pure vanilla. When I make our "eggless" cookies, I always get rave reviews and I really think it's the vanilla!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. yum! I am so in the mood for chocolate right now!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Those sound fabulous!
    Happy Sits day!
    Cheers,
    C

    ReplyDelete
  40. Big fan of chocolate chips cookies and these sounds great!
    pk @ Room Remix

    ReplyDelete
  41. These look so good they are making my mouth water!

    Happy SITS day.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh.My.Goodness!!! How romantic!!! the trellis you were married under. What a guy!
    and those chocolate chip cookies!!! My hubby's fave food group...chocolate! I might have to "win his heart" over by baking these this weekend! and Dorrie's suggestion "make your own" ? Yeah, right! Ain't gonna happen in this household! LOL.

    Congrats on YOUR SITS day!!!

    sweetjeanette.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Happy SITS day! I am a choc. chip cookie lover. I even found a cookbook entitled "In Search of the Perfect Choc. Chip Cookie"! Yours turned out beautifully. I have found when I buy chips at Costco some of them have melted and reformed into custom "chips"--doing the work for me ;)

    @cheapchichome

    ReplyDelete
  44. HOw pretty they look, wrapped up like that!

    Nothing beats a good chocolate chip cookie. NOTHING.

    ReplyDelete
  45. VISITING FROM SITS! YUMMY! Those cookies I need to make! So glad the recipe are there. And more recipes at the end of the post....YUM-O! Thanks! Congrats on YOUR big day at SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. I can't resist them.

    ReplyDelete
  47. These sound yummy! I am going to have to try them!! I just did a batch of Monster Cookies the other day and froze the second half of the batch!! Think I will do this again with this recipe -- thanks for sharing it! Happy SITS DAY!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. What a beautiful way to spend your anniversary. Congrats on 10 years and your SITS day! I love chocolate chip cookies and will have to give this recipe a try!

    Jenn @ rookno17.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  49. OHH - I'm making these this weekend, right after we carve pumpkins!

    ReplyDelete
  50. I am a sucker for chocolate chip cookies. Always yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I haven't tried this recipe, but I'm guessing the secret is how much vanilla is used. I accidentally sloshed a bunch of extra vanilla in my last batch of Tollhouse... and they were the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made.

    But I'm ALWAYS willing to bake a few more batches just to see if I'm right. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  52. Cookies are my favorite. These look yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Choco chip cookies are a fav at our house, but I am not tied to a certain recipe, so I'm excited to try this one out. Thanks for sharing & enjoy your day in the SITS spotlight.

    ReplyDelete
  54. What an absolutely lovely idea for an anniversary gift. And I'm ALWAYA up for chocolate chip cookies!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Ok, now I'm making chocolate chip cookies today! And your husband earns HUGE points with all women for wanting to finish the trellis in omage (sp?)to your big day! You got a good one there

    ReplyDelete
  56. that is indeed a special anniversary gift for each other.

    I love the cookie recipe. Will have to try it out. :)

    happy feature SITS day!

    ReplyDelete
  57. I knew it - I am already dribbling. Choc Chip Cookies are my favourites. These look delicious. Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with the "cup" measurements, so I will only admire them virtually...
    Happy SITSday!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Those look yummy! I might make them this weekend! I have a stock pile of chocolate chips too.

    ReplyDelete
  59. That's it. This is my third post and I'm hooked. Subscribing to your RSS feed now. I will definitely try these cookies out. I bake every week but there are some very basic treats I still haven't found the perfect recipe for yet -- like chocolate chip cookies or brownies. I need to change that...and from the looks of it, your chocolate chip cookies might just be the Ones.

    ReplyDelete
  60. yummy! Your post reminded me of that epsoide of Friends when Monica wants the best choc. chip reciepe from Febee, and it ended up being the Nestle Tollhouse Reciepe!!! Cute!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Great photo of the cookies! I love this recipe too. Since I bought Dorie's cookbook, I cannot believe that I went so long without having it. It's incredible! ; )

    ReplyDelete
  62. I don't do chocolate chip cookies too often, but I'll definitely be trying this recipe soon!

    ReplyDelete
  63. You can never have enough reasons to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Can't wait to give these ones a try. Thanks a million.

    Alex aka Ma What's for Dinner

    ReplyDelete
  64. Yum. I'm getting hungry...
    Enjoy your SITS day!
    ***Ally

    ReplyDelete
  65. Oh I love Dorie! Thanks for posting these mouthwatering-looking cookies. What a great present for me! Happy SITS day!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Sounds very romantic! Congratulations to you.

    ReplyDelete
  67. I love the Tollhouse recipe! I think I'll stick with it since I prefer my cookies to not spread thin. :)

    ReplyDelete
  68. I will definitely try this recipe, they look absolutely delicious! I also thought the addition of your trellis to your house was super sweet!

    www.americantribal.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  69. I am always in search of the best chocolate chip cookies! Thank you for sharing this with us :)
    Enjoy your SITS day!

    ReplyDelete
  70. If you only knew how much I adore desserts and how much more I adore baking them! Always up to try new recipes, especially with cookies - so will be giving this a shot. Just saw a YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE post under this one for chocolate oatmeal cookies. If they are the nobake drops - then yum. A favorite at our house and something so simple for the kiddos to help with :o)

    ReplyDelete
  71. A girl who omits nuts from her chocolate chip cookies is a girl after my own heart!

    ReplyDelete
  72. no nuts for me

    and... now I really want some of these.. now.. ok?

    ReplyDelete
  73. Okay...I'm gonna have to give these bad boys a try. My husband is a sugar freak and will love these.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Yum, sounds like a winner! I love chocolate chip cookies too, though I do put chopped pecans in mine. Just made a batch of dough recently and froze most of it for "later." That didn't last long LOL!!

    Happy SITS Day!!

    ReplyDelete
  75. Thanks for the chocolate chip cookie recipe. I never heard of "turning" the cookie sheet half way through, but I'll definitely try that in the future. My aunt who was a wonderful baker always said the key to good baking was to beat the eggs till they were very light and fluffy and I noticed in your recipe, the eggs do get well beaten. I also noticed you use twice as much butter as I use, which must make them very moist .... yum, yum

    www.FunnyPhotosContest.com . Submit cute or funny photos NO entry fee.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. My little girl will love it. She only eats chocolate chip cookies.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Wow! Those cookies look so good, i'm definitely going to keep this recipe close by for vday. Everyone loves cookies and yours looks too good to be true :) Maybe i'll just make them for S-day? (Satuday) ha ha!

    ReplyDelete
  78. I love me some choc chop cookies!

    ReplyDelete
  79. Although I am not a big chocolate fan I do enjoy a hot, fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie that is soft every once in a while. I'll have to try the recipe. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  80. Creating your own chips? Um, yeah, that is way too much work for me. LOL

    Stopping in from SITS.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Thanks for sharing! I always LOVE a good cookie recipe, especially chocolate chip. :)

    And what a sweet anniversary gift. Very cool.

    Congrats on your SITS feature!

    ReplyDelete
  82. Yep, the Tollhouse recipe is a mainstay, that's for sure! Especially if you double it and add walnuts! Yummy!
    What a sweet gift you gave each other for your anniversary:) I love romantic gestures and what a beautiful reminder the trellis will be. Every year as the roses mature...it will represent your love...both the gorgeous blossoms and the thorns!
    Take Care~

    ReplyDelete