Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies - Bake from Scratch

      Everyone has a preference. Whether you notice it or not, you've been honing your taste for chocolate chip cookies since childhood when you were enjoying your mom's or grandma's cherished recipe straight from the oven. Perhaps you like yours thin and crunchy, so much so that it resembles a cracker. Or maybe you are drawn to a thick cookie that is chewy on the outside and gooey on the inside, loaded with chocolate and sprinkled with flaky salt. You might even enjoy a soft and airy cookie throughout. It could also depend on your current mood.

      These cookies are the great equalizer, combining elements from different cookie styles, closely resembling the classic recipe found on the back of a bag of Nestlé Toll House chocolate chips. The molasses in brown sugar adds extra moisture to the dough, resulting in softness, while granulated sugar encourages browning for added crunch. By using equal amounts of brown and granulated sugar, you achieve a balance of these two qualities. Incorporating both baking powder for lift and baking soda for spreading helps create a puffy, chewy center with a crunch on the edges. Selecting a quality semisweet chocolate with around 60% cacao ensures your cookies are not overly sweet, and allowing the dough to rest briefly after mixing allows the flour to hydrate and develop flavor.

      Yields about 24 cookies. These cookies feature a buttery, caramel-like flavor, rich chocolate, moderate sweetness, and a texture that is both slightly crisp and softly tender—perfect for pleasing a crowd.

      **Ingredients:**

      - 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      - ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

      - ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

      - 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature

      - 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

      - 2¾ cups (344 grams) all-purpose flour

      - 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder

      - 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt

      - ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda

      - 2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

      **Instructions:**

      1. Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

      2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, pausing to scrape the paddle and the bowl's sides.

      3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, incorporate the vanilla.

      4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix the flour combination into the butter mixture until just combined, again pausing to scrape the paddle and bowl.

      5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a 3-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop (approximately 55 grams each), place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate the dough while the oven preheats.

      6. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line additional baking sheets with parchment paper.

      7. Position the dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

      8. Bake one sheet at a time until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

      **PRO TIP:** For cakier cookies, preheat your oven first and bake immediately after scooping the dough. For chewier cookies, refrigerate the scooped dough for at least an hour or up to overnight before baking.

      Let us know how it turned out!