It is hard to go wrong with this recipe.  It produces a cookie with a nice blend of crisp and chewy.  The dough will freeze well for up to 30 days.  I found the recipe years ago on a cookie sheet purchased from Williams-Sonoma.   It is not the recipe on their website today.   If price is no object, I recommend Williams-Sonoma’s “Goldtouch” cookie sheet pans (with raised sides).  I am not being paid to mention this.  Cookies, in particular, tend to produce an extra nice texture using their high end sheet pans.   http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/usa-pan-goldtouch-nonstick-half-sheet-pan/   I enjoy the versatility of the sheet pan with sides for many non-cookie recipes (meat loaf, roasted vegetables etc).

At full speed this dough can be prepared in less than 15 minutes assuming you have softened your butter in advance by setting it out on a counter for 30 minutes to an hour.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients:  

Note how short and simple the list is!

2 1/3 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ tsp salt
2 sticks or 16 tbs unsalted butter room temperature  [Plan this step well in advance]
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Set out your butter well in advance so it will be soft
2. Pre-heat oven to 350
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment
4. Over waxed paper sift flour, baking soda and salt- set aside  – The cookies just taste better if you take the time to do this step
5. In electric mixer with flat beater- beat the butter on medium low speed until smooth -30 seconds
6. Add two sugars and increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly fluffy, about 1 minute – scrape side of bowl if needed
7. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition – precision is not necessary but try to add the egg yolks in one at a time
8. Beat in vanilla- stopping mixer to scrape sides
9. Reduce speed to low, gradually add dry flour mix (putting in approx. a 1/3rd or 1/4th at a time) and beat until just combined.  Do not go fast (use level 1 or 2 at best) or you will blow flour all over the place.  I find taking the time to add the flour in stages produces a better dough.
10. Hand stir in chips in 3-4 small batches to evenly distribute chips.  Use a strong spoon.
11. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, spacing 2 inches apart
12. Bake until golden brown 10-14 minutes.  For my oven 12-12 1/2 minutes is about the right amount of time.  The cookies will look slightly underdone.
13. Transfer pan (not cookies) to wire rack and let the cookies cool on pan set on rack for 5 minutes
14. Then transfer cookies to rack (taking them off the cookie sheet) and let cool completely after tasting one cookie of course.

Makes 36 good sized cookies or many more smaller ones- William Sonoma

I like to freeze at least half of the dough in a flat one inch high square/rectangle (like the packages you see in stores)  or a round log (shown below that you may see in stores as well).  Wrap the dough in parchment and then place in freezer bag.  Defrost cookie straight from freezer by setting out or place in fridge a few hours before you want to use the cookies.  If the dough still seems hard from prior freezer storage, cook the cookies an extra minute or two.

Don’t overcook the cookies.  They will continue cooking on the cookie rack.  At the same time do not leave the cookies on the sheet pan too long before transferring the actual cookies to the rack.  The cookies will continue to cook some outside the oven if they remain on the cookie sheet. 

Beating the butter below

After adding the sugars below

Adding the flour in

 

 

 

 

 

Dough should be somewhat thick

Slowly add your chips in batches

Freeze excess dough in a log or a flat rectangle inside parchment paper and then placed in a ziplock bag

Enjoy!