Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before coming to China, I was a total bagged Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix fan. It was a regular thing (along with s'mores!) with me and my best friend to make these when we were both in Cincinnati. Stressed out? Grab the cookie mix. Movie? Betty..where are you? Hungry? Betty...done.

I had of course made chocolate chip cookies from scratch before, but they were always too crunchy! I wanted a crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookie, and Betty was always there. Not to sound unappreciative, but sorry Betty, your services are no longer needed, for I have found the Holy Grail of chocolate chip cookies. 

It wasn't until after my trial with the orchestra, when I knew I was staying in Beijing, that I bought my current "oven". The first thing I wanted to make was chocolate chip cookies. I suffered three long months in China without them, and had to have them immediately. Being that boxed mixes are super expensive here in Beijing, I decided making them from scratch was the way to go. So began my quest for chocolate chip cookie perfection. I tried theknead4speed's recipe, but found it a little too sweet (could have been my super dark brown sugar..recently found the lighter stuff..yay!) and they didn't really sink much either. Then I tried some from Apple a Day. They were excellent, but still not exactly what I was searching for (though I would totally recommend making those as well).  Then I stumbled across these bad boys on Smitten Kitchen, and honestly, I've been "smitten" with this recipe ever since.

When a chocolate chip cookie recipe has the same amount of chocolate chips as it does flour, you know you have a winner. Fresh from the oven, they're absolutely perfect. They're crispy, chewy, soft, buttery, chocolaty...just...amazing. Through this search, I have learned that the key to a crispy on the outside chewy on the inside cookie is to not over bake! When they're barely golden around the edges they're finished, as the cookies will continue to cook when they rest on the baking sheet.

Wow. Have I really blabbed this long about a chocolate chip cookie? Looks like it! I'm done, I swear. Just promise me one thing, okay? Make these cookies. You seriously won't regret it!

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper (this was the first time I ever used parchment paper..I think I'm in love!).

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in flour mixture until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. If the dough is too soft to spoon into balls, put it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Be sure to check your cookies before they're done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely (yeah right..who can wait that long before eating one? Not me). They will seem underdone, but will continue to cook as they rest on the cookie sheet and rack.