Every year at Christmas, my grown children insist that I send them a tin of my best chocolate chip cookies. Okay, my mom and dad and sister ask for me to send cookies, too.
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When their care package arrives in the mail, they open it with the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. Upon opening the box, the aroma of vanilla and chocolate tantalizes their senses and all semblance of opening the package slowly and carefully goes right out the window.
The tin of cookies is finally discovered, hidden among the glittery bow-festooned gifts. The sweet aroma is too much to resist and the cookies are devoured in a matter of minutes. Oh, the satisfaction of sweet and soft deliciousness melting in your mouth...
Of course, these chocolate chip cookies are delicious any time, not just the holidays! When the weather turns cold, the wood stove has a beautiful fire, and the snow starts to fall, my instinct is to turn on the oven and bake something scrumptious. FYI, my other favorite Christmastime cookies are white chocolate cranberry cookies.
My best chocolate chip cookies from scratch are simple to make, with no hard-to-find ingredients or complicated instructions. Chocolate chip cookies should be simple, yet decadent...don't you think? Over the years, I have discovered a few tips, though, to help you achieve the softest, most mouthwateringly delicious cookies you've ever tasted...
π§Ύ Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Chocolate chips
- Coarse sea salt (optional)
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
π₯£ Making the cookie dough
Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about two minutes. Next, add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and beat again until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. With mixer turning at a slow speed, slowly add dry ingredients to the already mixed wet ingredients.
When everything is mixed together, add chocolate chips and mix one final time.
Roll dough into small balls and place on baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
β²οΈ Baking
Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.
If you want to take your cookies to another level of decadent, after removing from the oven, lightly sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt.
Let cool and enjoy with a glass of milk. And don't forget to leave some cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve! π
π©π»βπ³ My best chocolate chip cookie tips
- Adding just a little bit of cornstarch to your cookie recipe helps keep them soft and chewy.
- Make sure your butter is softened to about room temperature. If you've melted the butter and it's hot, let it cool first. Hot butter may result in your cookies being flat.
- A flour sifter will remove any lumps in your flour, resulting in a smoother cookie.
- Roll cookie dough into small balls on the baking sheet. In my personal opinion, they'll be thicker this way and won't ooze out into a flat cookie.
- Use a silicone baking mat on your baking sheet (if you don't have one, use parchment paper). I've been using silicone baking mats for years and my cookies have never burned on the bottom again!
- Remove cookies from the oven when they just start to show a hint of browning. Overbaking is the surest way to get hard, crumbly cookies.
- When possible, use two or more baking sheets. This way, you can rotate through your baking sheets and let them cool off between batches. If you place cookie dough on a warm baking sheet, they'll start "melting and spreading" too soon.
Looking for more great dessert recipes? Check out a few of our favorites now!
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Biscoff Butter Cookies
- Matcha Crinkle Cookies
- Easy Fudge Recipe
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
- Momβs Jewish Apple Cake Recipe
- Brownie Blondies
- Chocolate Cake in a Mug (ready to eat in 5 minutes!)
- Butterscotch Milkshake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Quick & Easy Blueberry Crisp
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Did you make my Best Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ΒΎ cup granulated sugar
- ΒΎ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Β½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
- Using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about 2 minutes.
- Next, add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and beat again until smooth.
- InΒ a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. With mixer turning at a slow speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet.
- When everything is mixed together, add chocolate chips and mix one final time.
- Roll dough into small balls and place on baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.
- If you want to take your cookies to another level of decadent, after removing from the oven, lightly sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
- Cornstarch:Β Adding just a little bit of cornstarch to your cookie recipe helps keep them soft and chewy.
- Softened butter:Β Make sure your butter is softened to about room temperature. If you've melted the butter and it's hot, let it cool first. Hot butter may result in your cookies being flat.
- Flour sifter: A flour sifter will remove any lumps in your flour, resulting in a smoother cookie.
- Cookie dough balls:Β Roll cookie dough into small balls on the baking sheet. In my personal opinion, they'll be thicker this way and won't ooze out into a flat cookie.
- Silicone mat or parchment paper: Use a silicone baking mat on your baking sheet (if you don't have one, use parchment paper). I've been using silicone baking mats for years and my cookies have never burned on the bottom again!
- When the cookies are done baking:Β Remove cookies from the oven when they just start to show a hint of browning. Overbaking is the surest way to get hard, crumbly cookies.
- Rotate baking sheets:Β When possible, use two or more baking sheets. This way, you can rotate through your baking sheets and let them cool off between batches. If you place cookie dough on a warm baking sheet, they'll start "melting and spreading" too soon.
- Suggestion: If you enjoy these, you're gonna love our Biscoff butter cookies!
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casey
Just in time for cookie season! TYSM for this recipe!
maplewoodroad
Yes! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! π
Alyssa
These look so yummy! I will totally be making these.
maplewoodroad
Thank you! Enjoy! π
InHerOwnWrite
These look incredibleπ
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much! π
Denise Gardiner
Looks and sounds like a yummy recipe! I am always willing to try new cookie recipes. Thank you for sharing!
maplewoodroad
Thanks and enjoy! π
sylvia
Will definitely try- thanks for sharing!
maplewoodroad
Thank you! Enjoy! π
Lisa
These look delicious! I love chocolate chip cookies so much. π Iβve never thought of adding a little bit of cornstarch to make the cookies soft and chewy. Great tip!
maplewoodroad
Thanks! I didn't either until recently and it really does make a difference! π