Chocolate Chip Cookies

Starting fresh with the blog means I get to go back through old recipes and really curate which ones I choose to post here. So when I thought about the first recipe I should post, it was a no-brainer. The one recipe in my arsenal that gets the most use in our home is this one for chocolate chip cookies. I make it at least 2-3 times a month. If I didn't have it memorized, you can be damn sure that recipe card would be creased, sticky, and smudged- proof of a recipe well-loved. I developed it myself years ago, after making an abundance of other people's satisfactory but not OMFGTHESEARETHEBOMBDOTCOM chocolate chip cookies. I wanted a cookie with a crunchy exterior, soft chewy interior, and a noticeable amount of chocolate. So I played around with ratios until I figured out exactly how to get there. I'm fairly certain these chocolate chip cookies are what made Shawn fall in love with me... at least, that's what he says!

The key to a chewy cookie lies in the brown sugar. Now, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I like to make my own brown sugar. It's actually super duper easy and you should try it! But if you're in a pinch, any store-bought light brown sugar will do, though when I make my own I tend to make it more medium-brown. But here's the thing... you also need a little white sugar to get some of that sweet cookie crunch factor. I made these cookies with solely brown sugar for years, but they really weren't perfected until I added a little white sugar back into the recipe. Now, they're perfect. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

Hold up, we can't talk about chocolate chip cookies without mentioning the chocolate chips. The mix of milk and semisweet chocolate is key here - it's what balances it all out. My go-to chocolate chip brand is Ghirardelli, and I stock up when they're on sale. There are definitely better options out there, but those come with a higher price tag, and honestly, if I'm just going to shove a handful of warm cookies into my mouth, Ghirardelli does the trick. Use whatever brand you'd like, but definitely don't skip the milk/semisweet combo!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113 grams) butter
• ¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325°.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop cookies and place 2" apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Baked cookies are best eaten fresh. Store unbaked dough scoops in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before baking.

What do you look for in a chocolate chip cookie?