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Monday, September 2, 2013

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Labor Day!
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
I want to tell you a story.

Well....actually I want to tell 2 stories.

First story: These are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies.
TRUE STORY.
They're Michael's favorites too. Pretty much they're just the bestest thing ever. 
But more on that later. Let's get to the second story.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
You see, I feel like really good, big, bakery style chocolate chip cookies are sort of a city kinda thing. I certainly didn't experience these WONDERFUL kinds cookies until I moved from my small town in Ohio, to New York City.

It's recently been brought to my attention that you all may not be aware of the tale of how I came to live here. I've been remiss. Let me fill you in.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
It all started my freshman year of high school. I was already decided that I wanted to be an actress, and I was fairly certain I'd want to attend acting school in New York City. But I'd never been. Every year, my high school would take a performing arts trip to NYC so, at the tender age of 15, I got my first taste of the big city and I fell head over heels in love. The lights, the hustle and bustle, everything at your fingertips-I knew that this was the place a high energy spazz like me needed to be. Fast forward to the summer prior to my senior year of high school: after looking at colleges/conservatories a few months before with my mom and brother, I had my sights set on the school I wanted. But I needed a little boost to get in. I was told participating in the school's (then known as SFT, later, when I actually attended, changed it's name to NYCDA) summer program would be extremely helpful to me. So, at the tender age of 17, I moved to New York City for a month. And it was a crazy, fun, dramatic, learning-packed month, and probably the longest month I ever had (it felt like a year!) I learned so much and, as a result, at the end of the program I was accepted into the 2 year conservatory, which I began August 2008, when I was nearly 19 years old. I lived in a dorm in Brooklyn Heights for my first year, and had the time of my life. A lot of things changed between then and now, I've lived in various places, made and lost many friends, finally learned the subways and my way around this huge metropolis but, that's pretty much the story. I've been here for 5 incredible, roller-coaster, years. And that's pretty much the story of how I came to live in New York.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Anyway, back to the cookies.

Look at them.
LOOK AT THEM!

These cookies are huge, perfectly sturdy on the outside but oh so heavenly and gooey on the inside. The flavor is INSANELY delicious-we're talking browned butter people. The mecca of all deliciousness. And maybe I sprinkled a little fleur de sel salt on top, ya know, because why not? Why not take the most delicious thing ever and make it EVEN MORE DELICIOUS! What's also amazing about these cookies is that they are sturdy enough to travel or ship or send or whatever, and they actually still taste great for up to a week leftover. Ya know...if you can keep 'em around that long. It's hard. Oh man. If you're on a diet...quit your diet. Eat these. Seriously. Life is for living, am I right?

If (when?) I ever start a cookie baking business, you can bet these would be the go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. For sure. Definitely. I bow down to the prowess of Dorothy (Crazy for Crust).

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Very slightly adapted from Crazy for Crust

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 18 cookies
Ingredients:
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, browned
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (or a combo of mini and semisweet chocolate chips)
  • Optional-sea salt (such as fleur de sel) for sprinkling on top of cookies
Preparation:
  • How to brown butter: In a (preferably light colored) saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and whisk constantly as it foams and bubbles and eventually brown bits form. Remove from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Add sugars to the browned butter and beat on low speed for a couple minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • On low speed beat eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture.
  • Mix in vanilla.
  • Slowly mix in dry ingredients until combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-72 hours.
  • Once ready to scoop, let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes if needed to scoop the dough more easily.
  • Prepare baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silpat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Scoop out 1/4 cup dough balls and place on prepared baking sheet(s), leaving ample space in between (they shouldn't spread much but they are large cookies). If using, sprinkle sea salt on top of dough mounds.
  • Bake 11-12 minutes, until golden on the outside but dough-y in the middle. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week (or freeze for a longer period of time)-if they last that long!
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
WHY AREN'T THESE COOKIES REALLY IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOOOW?!

 
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