The original chocolate chip cookie’s recipe was developed in the late 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who also ran a restaurant named The Toll House in Whitman, Massachusetts. Her 1938 cookbook ‘Tried and True,’ which was meant to go with ice cream, first included the delectable combination of crunchy cookies and melted chocolate bits.
The first cookies go back as early as the 7th century A.D. in Iran. So, how did cookies come to be? As every skilled baker is aware, you must make sure your oven is set to the right temperature. Back then bakers would test the oven temperature by putting a small amount of cake batter inside and that tiny scoop of cake batter eventually evolved into the beloved cookie we have today. An interesting fact is that the name ‘cookie’ derives from the Dutch word for ‘small cake.’ History serves delicious lessons at its best.
For as long as we know, there is a concept of dunking cookies into milk. It seems like a default combination to be paired with and eaten. Actually, there is a scientific reason why chocolate chip cookies and milk go so well together. Emulsifiers are substances found in both chocolate and milk that enable the mixing of substances that ordinarily wouldn’t mix well, such as cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The chemical reaction between the chocolate and the milk improves both flavours, moreover, the milk reduces the sweetness of the cookie.
Ingredients for making classic chocolate chip cookies
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted melted butter
1½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks (110 g)
dark chocolate chunk (110 g) as per your preference
Instructions for making homemade chocolate chip cookies
Step 1: In a bowl, mix salt, cornflour, baking soda, flour and place it aside.
Step 2: In a bowl mix the following - melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar should be with no brown sugar lumps visible. Add the egg and egg yolk by whisking. Include the vanilla extract at the end while whisking.
Step 3: With a big spoon or rubber spatula, combine the liquid components with the dry ingredients. The dough will be thick, greasy-looking, and extremely soft. Add the chocolate chunks and stir. Try your best to incorporate the chocolate chips with the dough even if the melted butter may prevent that from happening.
Step 4: For at least two to three hours or up to three days, chill the dough in the refrigerator with a tight cover. For less spreading, freeze the cookie dough for an entire night. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften.
Step 5: Preheat the oven and line the baking with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Measure out three tablespoons of dough for extra-large cookies or two heaping tablespoons of dough for medium/large cookies using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon. Make a cylinder-like roll by ensuring that the shape is taller than wide. The cookies bake up thicker as a result of this. Use the leftover dough to repeat.
Step 6: The cookies should be baked for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. The cookies’ centre may appear to be soft at first, but it will continue to set as they cool. For ten minutes, let the baking sheet cool. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the warm cookies’ tops in the meantime. Set aside the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling after cooling on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. The cookies stay fresh for up to a week if kept covered at room temperature.
Tools required for baking the ultimate chocolate chip cookies
Baking sheets
Cookie scoop
Silicone baking mats or parchment sheets
Cooling racks
Conclusion
The secret to making the most delicious chocolate chip homemade cookies is to take the chocolate chip cookies out of the oven just before they appear to be finished baking. In the middle, they should still appear to be a bit moist. When the cookies are completely cooled, the remaining heat from the oven and pan will finish baking them to soft perfection. The most important step is to accurately measure the flour to improve your baking. Chocolate chip cookies made with too much flour will be crumbly, thick, and scarcely spread.
FAQs
How to make gooey chocolate chip cookies?
The trick is to ensure to not over-bake the batch of chocolate chip cookies.
How to keep cookies soft?
Add an apple wedge, piece of bread, or a tortilla on top and bottom of the cookies to the container to keep them soft after a day or two after baking. Your cookies will become soft and chewy once more because of the moisture that transfers from the apple or bread to them.
How to refresh stored cookies?
Nothing beats the taste of a warm chocolate chip cookie in your mouth. Just reheat the cookies in an oven or a toaster oven.