Old Fashioned Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Last year I set out to test recipes for my favorite type of chocolate chip cookie. I researched. I tried and tested so many variations. I ate… So. Many. Cookies. I felt a little bit like Monica in that FRIENDS episode when she tried to replicate Phoebe’s grandmother’s recipe – you know the one – Nes-lea Tollhousa? Anyone? Ok, ok… Back to the task at hand. I knew I wanted to use cornstarch because that would help make the cookies soft and thick. But they were just never quite right. And then I had a light bulb moment. Powdered sugar. I took inspiration from a family cookie recipe and subbed powdered sugar for granules. Because if it works for one cookie recipe, why wouldn’t it work for another, right? And then I replaced part of the powdered sugar with dark brown sugar to give the cookie a more caramelized flavor. And if that wasn’t enough, I decided to add two different types and textures of chocolate, molasses, and lots of vanilla to add complexity. Because who doesn’t love a multifaceted chocolate chip cookie, amiright?
The chocolate chip cookie. The most beautifully humble confection – Simple but with so many possible variations to this nostalgic baked good. Chewy or crisp. With or without nuts. Dark or sweet chocolate. Everyone has that one version they like the best. My preferred cookie? Soft, gooey, and oh-so-chocolaty.
About the Process
Now, to make sure these cookies bake into thick pillows of chocolate goodness, I form the dough balls into an egg shape as opposed to a sphere. I’ve found that if the dough is taller than it is wide before going into the oven, the cookies do not spread as much. Another trick? Make sure the dough is cold and the cookie sheet is room temperature or colder. I like to make the dough the night before, place it into the refrigerator, roll out the balls, and then put it back into the refrigerator for another 30 minutes. You don't necessarily need to make the dough the night before, but you'll want to make sure it cools in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling into balls and cooling again. This recipe might be a bit time consuming in the waiting process but it is so worth it.
Eat well and enjoy!
Ingredient Details
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. No need to sift the flour but you’ll want to make sure it is leveled in the measuring cup. If you don’t level the flour, there is risk of adding too much and drying out the cookies.
- Baking Soda – This is a rising agent that helps keep the cookies thick.
- Corn Starch – Corn starch might not be an ingredient you see in many baking recipes. This element keeps the cookies from spreading out too much and helps keep them soft and chewy.
- Unsalted Butter – I decided to use unsalted butter in this recipe so I didn’t risk over-salting the dough. If you use salted butter, just cut back on the added salt to ¼ tsp. You want to make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so that it is easily incorporated to make a smooth batter.
- Dark Brown Sugar – I love using brown sugar in my baking. It adds more complexity than white sugar, along with a caramelly sweetness!
- Powdered Sugar – I love using powdered sugar in cookie recipes. This ingredient helps keep the cookies moist and soft.
- Vanilla – This adds a smooth sweetness and complexity to these cookies without being too overpowering.
- Eggs – Like the butter, you’ll want to make sure the eggs are at room temperature. This will help them incorporate easily into the batter. If you need to bring them to room temperature quickly, just place them in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes or so.
- Chocolate – I like to use a mix of chocolate chips and chunks in this recipe to create different melting textures. I also like to use a mix of semi-sweet and very dark chocolate. This adds richness to the cookies without making them overpoweringly sweet.
These aren't your normal chocolate chip cookies. With the addition of molasses, dark brown sugar, and two kinds of chocolate; they're so decadent and delicious. They're the perfect cookie to make on a relaxing weekend or rainy day.
- 2 1/4 cup flour, leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (You’ll want the butter to still be solid but soft enough to make an indent when poked with your finger or the back of a spoon)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/4 cup light molasses
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- 1/2 cup 60% Cacao dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped* (measured after chopped)
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium to large bowl, mix together the butter and dark brown sugar using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. Add the powered sugar and mix. Add the vanilla and mix in using a whisk. Add the egg and whisk. Add the egg yolk and whisk. Add the molasses and whisk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently, using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, until just combined. Add the two types of chocolate and mix until the chocolate is incorporated. The dough will be thick and hard to mix. Don’t worry if it is crumbly. You’ll be able to fix this when forming the cookies.
Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator until fully chilled. Ideally, you’ll want the dough to chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours. Chilled dough will help keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
After the dough has chilled, take it out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Using a spoon or scooper (I use an ice cream scoop), measure about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough and form into tall, egg-shaped balls. Forming the dough into balls that are taller than they are wide will also help keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Place the cookie dough balls back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once chilled, place the dough onto cookies sheets that are lined with parchment paper, making sure to space them out with at least a few inches in between each cookie.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned. The cookies will still be very soft and slightly undercooked at this point. Let the cookies cool for ten minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling. If using the same cookie sheet, make sure it is cooled completely before making the second batch of cookies. If necessary, you can place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator or freezer to cool. I also recommend placing the dough in the refrigerator or freezer in between batches because keeping the dough and cookie sheets cold helps keep your cookies soft and thick.
These cookies are delicious while they’re still warm right out of the oven or when cooled completely. They store wonderfully in an airtight container or zip lock bag and also freeze well. If frozen, just pull as many cookies as you want out of the freezer and let come to room temperature.
*For extra chocolaty cookies, use ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup 60% Cacao dark chocolate chunks.