The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Look at me! I'm the thickest, chewiest and yummiest chocolate chip cookie!

My cooking and baking is at its best for a week after the exams. I take all the liberty to treat and pamper myself with all kinds of food. May be its because of how exhausted I feel after all the hard work (read: short cuts). But the truth is during the studying the breaks I take are dedicated to food gazing all over the blogsphere. It motivates me to get over with the exams as soon as possible so I can put my hand onto some fabulous recipes.

I'm not a big fan of cookies but my husband is. Or may be I just avoid liking a cookie. Just like I usually avoid following a sweet blog on regular basis to keep myself sane and alive without carrying a guilty weight around. But I find no better time to do all the wrong things but during those study breaks. During one of the breaks I was going over the recipe by Browneyedbaker for what she called the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. Over the past 2 years I have had my share of chocolate chip cookie recipes which claimed to be the one! I did come across many good, average and bad recipes. But the web is full of cookie recipes and I don't believe in adding another one which is just about good. It should be special. And I think I have found the special recipe. Me not the cookie lover actually loved this cookies and don't even ask about my husband. He couldn't keep his hands off. Ahem! Off the cookies I meant!

Update (1/10/2010): I have been making this recipe now 7-8 times (10 may be ?). Until few days ago I used a new pack and brand of dark brown sugar ( a better brand actually) and it just wasn't chewier any more. It tasted similar but something went wrong with the texture. So I tried it again after some days and the problem persisted.And then I went to the original recipe posted by Brown Eyed Baker and actually added the white sugar which I have been omitting all this while. And bang it was back, the texture. I really have no idea how I could get similar texture before with the dark brown sugar I was using but my guess is it was not pure dark brown sugar and had some white sugar mixed in it. Below is the updated recipe and now you got to trust me, its the best recipe. I have also tried using  light brown sugar for this recipe but I really love Dark. Brown.Sugar. So here it is....

The Perfect Chocolate chip cookie with white chocolate shavings

Ingredients

Makes 12 ( Super large cookies)

2 cups all purpose flour

13 tbsp butter unsalted (melted and warm)

1 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

6 tbsp white chocolate shavings (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 165 C. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk the butter and sugar till well mixed. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, slowly incorporating and just till well combined. Mix the chips.

Take about 1/4 cup of the batter in your hand and make a ball out of it. Like this

Divide the ball into two with your hands and turn it 90 degrees. The uneven surface should now face upwards.

Combine the two balls to form one ball again but the uneven surface should remain as it is. What we are looking for a is rustical bakery style cookie.

And just when I was putting the cookies in the oven, I decided to top the cookies with some white chocolate shaving in the center. How can that not be good ? about 1/2 tbsp for each.

Place on a baking sheet with 2.5 inch distance between each. I didn't find the need for the parchment paper but if you please, use it. Tuck it into a 165 C oven for 20 minutes or just till the cookie is set at the exteriors and is still soft and puffy in the interiors. Turn the cookie around once in the baking period.


Keep the cookies on the baking sheet till it cools and then .....

Indulge. Thick and chewy cookie. Just like we like it. With snow like white chocolate shavings, it was a perfect balance of sweetness. Leaving you with one last picture. Stare!