perfect chocolate chip cookies

What makes a perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie?

For me, it's a chrunchy edge and a gooey middle... it's not a recipe thing so much as a technique... the secret is beating the living heck out of the butter and sugar, and -- refrigerating the dough for at least 24 hours -- before baking. That and pre-heating the oven long enough to be sure of the temperature, and baby-sitting them to get them to the exact level of doneness you prefer.

See Alton Brown's 3 Chips for Sister Marsha or Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed by Shirley O. Corriher for the low-down on the proportions of white and brown sugar, and the resulting thin/thick/chewiness of the cookies.

Me, Im right in the middle, here's the recipe I've been using:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or vanilla paste, or the seeds scraped out of a half of a vanilla bean if you're so inclined.)
2 cups semisweet chunks (Better chocolate makes better cookies.)

But I don't think the magic is in the recipe, use any one you like... the magic, follows:

1. In a stand Mixer: (you could probably use a hand held mixer, or a wooden spoon, but it won't be fun)
Beat the living hell out of the butter and sugar, I don't think you can overdo it, the butter should be very pale and the texture should be very smooth.

2. Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix in.

3. Get another bowl and stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gently mix into the butter and sugar just till combined.

4. and chocolate and vanilla and gently stir till evenly distributed.

5. Scoop the dough into a 1 Gallon ziplock bag, and flatten to 3/4 of an inch to an inch. (You don't have to do this, but this way you can easily cut squares with a knife and make evenly sized cookies.) Stick the whole thing in the fridge, and leave it there for as long as you can stand it. At least 8 hours, for up to two weeks.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven, then let it sit at temperature for another 15-20 minutes just for consistency. Roll the dough into balls about 1-1/2" in diameter (make your's bigger or smaller, but it will affect the baking time.)

Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan, space the cookies a few inches apart and bake - for me, it's convection bake, 325 degrees, for about 13 minutes, but depending on your oven, how cold the dough is, and your preference, it could be longer or shorter... I cook them just till the middle is set, and the edges are slightly brown and crunchy, like this:



I let em cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, then move the parchment paper to a rack and let cool till I can't wait any longer... eat em while they're still warm, but hold their shape.