No one can resist freshly baked crispy chocolate chip cookies with a glass of ice-cold milk. I judge good quality chocolate chip cookies on that balance of crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside with the right sweetness. Start by measuring your butter and placing it in a large bowl, then add white granulated and light brown sugar. Using a spatula, cream the sugar and butter mixture, and as soon as you see the creamy consistency, add an egg.

It’s good to have all your ingredients at room temperature. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and blend them.  For the dry ingredients, sift in a cup of all-purpose flour and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Adding cornstarch will ensure your cookies are crispy outside and soft in the centre. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda and salt. Combine everything until well blended.

You want to use chocolate chips made for chocolate chip cookies. They hold their shape and also set up nicely after they are cooled. You need to have a chocolate chip in every bite, so you will need about a cup and a half. You will also add half a cup of toasted pecans. The idea here is to make sure the chocolate chips and pecans are well worked into the cookie dough batter.

For scooping and dropping the cookies. The most straightforward technique is to measure about two tablespoons, then roll it into your hands into a ball and line it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop them in the fridge to chill for an hour. A great tip to get ahead of your cookie baking is to chill them in the refrigerator, pack them in a reusable bag, and then bake them whenever you want.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them cool on their tray before removing them so they set up a bit.

Ingredients;

  • ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • One large egg at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • One ¼ cup (185 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp (7.5 g) cornstarch
  • ½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
  • ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt
  • 1 ½ cup (262 g) chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (100 g) lightly toasted, coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions;

  1. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together well. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
  2. Sift the flour with the cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
  3. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop spoonfuls of dough (about 2 Tbsp), shape them into a ball and place them onto a parchment-lined baking tray or a plate.
  4. Chill the scooped cookies for at least an hour. Once chilled, they can be frozen for baking later.
  5. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (162 C). Arrange the chilled scooped cookies onto parchment-lined baking trays, leaving 3 inches between the cookies.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until browned around the edges. Cool the cookies on the baking tray.
  7. If baking cookie dough has been frozen, arrange the frozen cookies on the baking tray and let them thaw for 20 minutes at room temperature before baking as above.