Definitely the Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie
I love to cook, but baking…not so much. I guess I just have a hard time following directions exactly, and I’m always trying to “add a little something.” No wonder it ends up as an epic disaster. But this recipe for the Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie is one of the very few things I can bake from scratch, mostly for my husband as they are his favorite.
I’ve been baking these chocolate chippers, as they are referred to at my house, for as long as I can remember. It’s my version of the iconic Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, the one we all were raised on. It is also the recipe most requested by my husband’s coworkers when it’s his turn to bring in a birthday treat. This chocolate cookie is soft, chewy and filled with chocolatey deliciousness. They really are the best ever.
And because it has a great story to go with it, I love it even more.
The Story Behind THE Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
The exact history of the Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie is debatable. What culinary historians do know is that the original was created by Ruth Wakefield, who is considered by me, and probably many other chocolate chip cookie lovers, to be one of the GREATEST inventors of all time.
Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, owned and operated the popular Toll House Inn, located across the street from the VERY BUSY Boston/Bedford Turnpike toll gates. Location, location, location!
Legend has it that during one cooking baking day, Ruth substituted chocolate bits for nuts and/or chocolate bits for melted chocolate. Now whether this was intentional or accidental, well that depends on who you ask. Considering Ruth culinary expertise and attention to detail, anyone who knew her believed the chocolate substitution was intentional. She would never make a culinary “error” such as this one. Regardless, the Chocolate Chip Cookie was born, and I remain eternally grateful to Mrs. Wakefield.
The Original
The ORIGINAL. It’s changed a little since then.
Enter Nestlé
So how did the Nestlé Company get involved in all of this? They created the chocolate morsel to end the task of homemakers having to use an ice pick to “chip” away at the chocolate bars. Talk about a group of determined chocolate-chip cookie loving women!
The cookies reached the pinnacle of popularity during WWII when they were included in care packages sent to soldiers serving our country overseas, and continues to this day for many in the military and college students who anxiously await this sentimental reminder from home. You can still find the recipe on the back of every package of Nestlé’s Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
And then there’s my version of Everyone’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie
My version is pretty close to the original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie but there are a few things that I do differently when I bake the cookies.
Is it all in the Flour?
First of all, I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, which many consider a superior flour. I like that it’s unbleached and that my cookies taste good. Pretty simple.
But any flour will produce a tasty cookie. I was making darn good chocolate chip cookies long before I ever heard of King Arthur. So make do with what your have. It’s all good!
I love that it can now be found at most grocery stores. It got real expensive ordering it on line–flour is heavy to ship. Any flour will work. King Arthur is just my preferred brand since it’s unbleached and I’ve had good luck with it.
Sugar, Sugar
Often I use just a little less than ¾ cup each of granulated and brown sugar only because I don’t like my cookies overly sweet, but that’s definitely just my personal choice.
I’m also using a mixture of chocolate chips (semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate). The milk chocolate chips make the cookies taste sweeter.
I use a little more vanilla than Nestle’s original chocolate chip recipe, and I use unsalted butter. If you like a tad bit more of a salty taste, use salted butter. Your choice.
Call Me a Chocolate Snob
Because I’m kind of a chocolate snob, I use a combination of chocolates. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, as they are not as sweet as the semisweet kind, and Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips, because they are ever so melty and delicious. Sometimes I even add the Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chips for texture and flavor. (They hold their shape after baking.)
I’ve been known to eat them all right out of the bag for a chocolate fix. So now my secret’s out, and all I can say is Ghirardelli is the best most grocery stores offer.
Refrigerate the Dough
To keep the cookies from spreading all over the pan as they bake, I refrigerate the dough for an hour or two. Since I’m not a baking specialist, I’m not sure why this works, but it does.
But, don’t leave the dough in the fridge too long our it will be hard as a rock. Good luck scooping those babies out of the bowl.
As an FYI—the dough will stay fresh in the fridge for a week and it freezes well, too. You’ll have to let them warm up a bit to easily scoop out, but not to room temp.
If you’re freezing them, form them into balls first. Put them on a baking sheet to “flash” freeze them for a couple of hours. Then you can transfer to a large Ziploc bag or freezer container to use in the future.
Soft Cookies
I like softer cookies, so I start checking the oven at around 9-10 minutes of baking time. The cookies should just start turning brown on the edges and still look “under baked.” When I pull them out of the oven, I let them rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. They seem to still bake a little while on the hot baking sheet. I then carefully transfer them to a cooking rack.
I try to use a cool and clean baking sheet before putting the next batch in the oven. A hot baking sheet guarantees the disappointing spreading of the cookies. I keep a couple of baking sheets on hand and bake one batch at a time, on the MIDDLE rack of the oven, alternating baking sheets with each batch.
FAQ
How long should the cookies bake for soft chocolate chip cookies?
Stick with the lesser baking time (9 minutes) for soft chocolate chip cookies. Start checking them at 9 minutes.
You want the tops to just be turning a light shade of brown.
Even if they don’t seem quite done (but the tops are just starting to brown), take them out of the oven and let them rest on the pan for a couple of minutes. They’re still “baking” while they rest on the baking sheet.
How to keep my cookies from spreading while they bake?
For me, refrigerating the dough for an hour before baking seems to work. Don’t refrigerate the dough to long or you won’t be able to scoop it out.
Can I make these chocolate chip cookies with Nestles semisweet chocolate chips only?
Absolutely. I just like to change it up a little for taste and melt factor. A chocolate chip cookie recipe using Nestle Semisweet Chocolate Chips results in cookies that hold their shape after baking better than the chocolate chip cookies baked using milk chocolate chips.
What’s the difference semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips?
A great resource for comparing the two can be found here Semisweet vs Milk Chocolate Chips
There’s more cocoa in semisweet chocolate chips, making them taste a little bitter and definitely not as sweet as milk chocolate chips.
And, believe it or not, there’s actually real milk in milk chocolate chips. No milk in the semisweet chips.
Because they have more milk fat, milk chocolate chips seem to stay meltier after baking.
Which chocolate chips are sweeter, semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips?
Because milk chocolate chips don’t contain as much cocoa as semisweet chocolate chips, they taste sweeter.
How long should the cookies bake for soft chocolate chip cookies?
Stick with the lesser baking time (9 minutes) for soft chocolate chip cookies. Start checking them at 9 minutes.
You want the tops to just be turning brown.
If they don’t seem quite done (and the tops are just starting to brown), take them out of the oven and let them rest on the pan for a couple of minutes. They’re still “baking” while they rest on the baking sheet.
How to keep my cookies from spreading while they bake?
For me, refrigerating the dough for an hour before baking seems to work. Don’t refrigerate the dough to long or you won’t be able to scoop it out.
Can I freeze the cookies?
Yes you can! They can be frozen after baking–just let them get super cool first. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Pop them in the freezer until firm (a couple of hours), and then transfer the cookies to a freezer bag or airtight container.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, the dough can also be frozen. Here’s a link for info on how to freeze cookie dough.
Can I bake frozen cookies?
Yes. Remember to add a 1-2 minutes to your baking time. Watch them carefully after about 9 minutes so be sure they don’t over bake.
The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, BEAT butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.
- ADD eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. SLOWLY BEAT in flour mixture.
- STIR in chocolate chips and nuts.
- CHILL in the refrigerator for 2 hours. DROP by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet.
- BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Start checking them at 9 minutes.
- COOL on baking sheets for 3 minutes before removing to wire cooking racks to cool.
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