Sandy’s Kitchen

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic for a reason – they’re the perfectly chewy, chocolatey answer to those intense sweet tooth cravings!

It’s that must-have before bed snack that isn’t complete without a tall glass of cold milk.

Nothing beats a freshly baked batch of cookies right out of the oven, especially when it’s chocolate chip. And don’t get me started on the sweet aroma billowing its way throughout the kitchen and the rest of the house. Every time I whip up a batch of these chocolate chip cookies, it reminds me of baking with my mom while growing up. Some of my fondest memories are of me and my younger brothers making cookies with my mom. I just didn’t like waiting for them to cool down, haha – to me, they were best right out of the oven.

So, I’m sharing one of my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipes. It’s simple, takes virtually no prep time, and bakes in under 10 minutes. I like making this recipe ahead of time, roll them into balls and then store them in the fridge or freezer for those ‘I need a warm chocolate chip cookie’ moments.

A few tips before you start:

• Weigh your ingredients. This recipe is weighed in grams because it’s the most accurate way to bake, and this comes from someone who never used a kitchen scale. I’ve been doing this a lot more lately, and it really does make a difference. If you’re on the market for a kitchen scale, this one has some great reviews on Amazon.
• Don’t overmix your cookie dough! The key to the perfect cookie is simple, don’t overmix. Mixing the dough for too long leads to more gluten formation, creating a dry, crumbly and hard cookie, which we absolutely do not want. So mix your ingredients until just combined.
• Add cornstarch. I know, it sounds strange, but trust me, it works. Just a hint of cornstarch is the secret to making your cookies extra chewy, something I learned from Canada’s baking sweetheart Anna Olson herself!
• Chill your dough. This helps prevent your cookies from spreading and creates a chewier cookie. I usually roll all my cookie dough into balls, size is dependent on how big or small you want them, and then I pop them in the fridge for about an hour. You can also freeze them and pull them out when you need them, but they last in the fridge for about two weeks.
• Don’t forget the extra chocolate! I like to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, and then chop up some dark chocolate (My favourite is Lindt Excellence 85% Dark Chocolate!) and place it on top of the dough balls before baking them. I mean, who doesn’t love extra chocolate right?
• Sprinkle on flaky sea salt. This is of course, totally optional, but I love sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. It’s so good!
• Perfectly round cookies. Right when the cookies come out of the oven, take a bowl, cup or cookie cutter that is slightly larger than your cookies and place it over one of the cookies. Gently swirl the cookie cutter around the cookie to make the cookie perfectly round. And that’s it!

Chewy, soft and filled with chocolate, these cookies are nothing short of perfect.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 8-10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

200 g salted butter, melted

260 g light brown sugar

4 egg yolks

3 tsp pure vanilla

260 g all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cornstarch

Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling on top

460 g chocolate (A mix of semi sweet chips, milk chocolate chips and Lindt Excellence 85% Dark Chocolate, chopped)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt the butter until it’s just melted. Make sure the butter is not hot, or your cookies will spread.

Next, add light brown sugar to butter and whisk until combined.

Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla until thoroughly combined.

Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch. Lightly fold together using a rubber spatula until the flour is almost completely combined. Add in your chocolate, saving some for the top of the cookies, and fold until no flour streaks remain.

Roll cookie dough into desired sized balls and refreigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Place cookies on a baking sheet, evenly spaced out. Top with extra chocolate and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middles of the cookies are almost completely set.

Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use your cookie cutter, bowl or cup and swirl it around the cookies to make them a perfect circle. Top with sea salt, serve and enjoy!