My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Jamie on May 9, 2011

Post image for My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not one to really repeat recipes in my kitchen and rarely here on MBA. However, sometimes a recipe is so incredibly good that it’s totally worth another post. These New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies certainly fit into that category and are hands down my absolute favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

If you don’t believe me, hit up your friend Google and take a looksie. These New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies took the blogging world by storm about two years ago and immediately changed my perception of chocolate chip cookie perfection.

The method for New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies is certainly a bit different than what most of us are used to. They do require a little planning ahead, because the ingredient list calls for bread and cake flours and they require a 24 hour chill time, but trust me, it’s so worth it!

I am certain the flour blend and long marinating time has something to do with the amazing texture of these cookies.

They’re big, dense, chocolatey, and perfectly chewy. It’s honest to goodness perfection and that’s what makes them unequivocally the best chocolate chip cookie that I have ever tasted.

Their size alone is enough to intrigue people, and after one bite you’ll see pure bliss spread across peoples’ faces and they’ll be begging you for the recipe.

This is one recipe that I don’t recommend messing with the first time you try them. Don’t be tempted to toss in anything fancy schmancy (aside from good chocolate), just leave the recipe as is your first time around, and I promise you’ll be in love with them.

Looking for more Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes?

White Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies from Good Life Eats
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip-Walnut Cookies from Bluebonnets and Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookies from I Am Baker
Browned Butter Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Under the High Chair
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Doozies from Add A Pinch

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New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies

Total Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours chilling

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content  (see note below)
*Sea salt (sometimes I add this, sometimes, I don't)

Directions:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Notes:

- For regular sized cookies, use a heaping tablespoon and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
- I have used regular chocolate chips in this recipe and they turn out just fine. Nestle recently released Dark Chocolate Morsels that work beautifully in this recipe.
- I have baked these before the full 24 hour chill time and they simply just aren't as good.
- Check out Katie's tip on How to Freeze Cookie Dough.

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{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Blog is the New Black May 9, 2011 at 5:19 am

These look wonderful! I have mdae them before and I agree that they are worth the wait! ;)

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2 Apron Appeal May 9, 2011 at 5:47 am

Maybe chocolate chip cookies are my husbands favorite desert….His birthday is this week and I honestly don’t know what he LOVES. I know he likes lots of things, chocolate chip cookies included. Maybe I’ll make a smorgasbord of desserts…this included.

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3 Sanjeeta kk May 9, 2011 at 7:20 am

Love these chocolate chip cookies..the crisp and bumpy crust is so attractive!

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4 Maris (In Good Taste) May 9, 2011 at 7:59 am

Oh I do believe you! These look incredibly good! Bookmarked!!!

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5 Michelle May 9, 2011 at 8:09 am

Oh I saw this recipe on yahoo Shine blog yesterday. It said it was adapted from Jacques Torres–expect they subbed all regular flour for the part bread flour. But I recognized it from the fact that after the cookies cool on one rack, you transfer them to another. Anyway, your picture is way better than the one on Yahoo, and I really want to make these!

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6 Michelle May 9, 2011 at 8:10 am

oh and they left out the 24 wait time!

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7 Yuri May 9, 2011 at 8:17 am

This is my favorite recipe as well :)

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8 Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen May 9, 2011 at 8:19 am

I totally agree with you, this is a killer recipe. I don’t like to repeat cookie recipes but I’ve made this one quite a few times it’s so good.

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9 Aimee @ Simple Bites May 9, 2011 at 8:22 am

A.MAY.zing. I think we’ll be making these this week. Thanks for the shout-out!

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10 Robyn | Add a Pinch May 9, 2011 at 8:40 am

Oh these look beyond delicious! Thanks so much for including my doozies.

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11 Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen May 9, 2011 at 9:29 am

Thank you for sharing! I will definitely be trying this :)

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12 Amanda N May 9, 2011 at 9:59 am

What an endorsement! I’ll have to try these. My all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is the Double Tree recipe. You definitely need to give that one a try:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/doubletree-hotels-cookies/Detail.aspx

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13 Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies May 9, 2011 at 11:05 am

I’ve got to try these. They look so good! Thanks for the linkage love, Jams :)

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14 Jackie @ La Casa de Sweets May 9, 2011 at 11:10 am

These look great!! :)

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15 Jaime {sophistimom} May 9, 2011 at 11:25 am

I’m the same way when it comes to recipes. I don’t like to use other people’s on my website. But you know? Those elusive chocolate chip cookies!! They’re such a balancing act to perfect them. I say, if you find a recipe that’s good, then shout it from the rooftops, now matter whose recipe it is!

These look great, and just what I want on a rainy day like today.

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16 Toni May 9, 2011 at 11:44 am

YUMMY! I so wish I had my new KitchenAid right now to make some….

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17 Allison May 9, 2011 at 11:52 am

I’ve heard about these cookies for a while now but have never tried them. I must rectify that now!

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18 Terri May 9, 2011 at 12:12 pm

I really want to try this cookie recipe. I don’t bake very much and had a question. Is there a difference between bread flour and regular all-purpose flour?
Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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19 leslie May 9, 2011 at 12:33 pm

mmmm.chocolate chips cookies. I thinks lots of cookies benefit from a long rest in the fridge! Beautiful photo..as always!!! :)

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20 Savorique Gourmet May 9, 2011 at 12:34 pm

I wonder how long they stay chewy after one bakes them. And how to best store them to preserve freshness?

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21 Vimitha May 9, 2011 at 1:02 pm

Yummy mouthwatering cookies… would love to grab one and have a big bite…

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22 Sara May 9, 2011 at 1:35 pm

Yum, they look perfect! I’ve yet to try this recipe, but with all the good things I’ve heard about it…apparently, I must.

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23 Connie the cookie monster May 9, 2011 at 1:37 pm

omg these sound amazing. im always craving a good chocolate chip cookie. now is it possible to use normal chocolate chips? cuz ive never seen chocolate disks sold around where i live before

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24 Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit May 9, 2011 at 2:20 pm

Goodness perfection, eh? Wow… these look delicious. I’ve been craving chocolate like MAD yesterday and today… these would be perfect!

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25 betsy May 9, 2011 at 2:43 pm

thanks for sharing..I guess I don’t have the patience for these!

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26 Jen of My Tiny Oven May 9, 2011 at 3:18 pm

Someone hand me a napkin, cause these cookies are making me drool! These are definatly going on my list to make, I have been searching for a plain chocolate chip cookie recipe, this one looks perfect! Thanks for sharing!

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27 Becca May 9, 2011 at 3:26 pm

Could any cookie look more beautiful than yours always do? Jamie, you are an inspiration to me and I can’t thank you enough for all that you do to keep me cooking! :)

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28 ShopCookMake May 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm

Chocolate Chip Cookies must be in season because I’ve seen so many recipes lately. This is NOT good for my diet. They look delicious!

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29 sweetsugarbelle May 9, 2011 at 3:50 pm

I am so excited about this. I have been looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for over ten years. I’m grinning and counting down the days until Friday so I can mix this up. Saturday won’t come fast enough!

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30 Rachel May 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm

I did this exact thing last week and am posting about it soon! I did a control group to see which cookies were best. The article is right, let the dough sit and the cookies are so much better :)

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31 Kristine May 9, 2011 at 5:17 pm

I was just thinking I need to bake some chocolate chip cookies, and then I saw this post. I’m going to be mixing up the dough for these this afternoon- it’s going to be a challenge waiting until tomorrow to try one!

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32 Nom! May 9, 2011 at 5:37 pm

wow these look incredible! love the recipe

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33 Paula May 9, 2011 at 6:30 pm

One can never get enough chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one is definitely a keeper and a must try. The photograph is beautiful!

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34 Mary @ Delightful Bitefuls May 9, 2011 at 6:53 pm

OMG! These are perfection!

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35 Gen May 9, 2011 at 8:32 pm

Oh my word! These look amazing!!!!!

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36 Becca May 9, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Hmm. I’ve never heard of this recipe before, maybe it’s because I live under a rock…. These look amazing though, and the idea of a five inch cookie puts a big smile on my face! :D

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37 Katrina May 10, 2011 at 1:31 am

I’ve heard of these cookies and still haven’t tried them yet. I’ve got to get to this!

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38 noreen May 10, 2011 at 6:19 am

Wish I could make these – they look divine! Unfortunately, my older son is allergic to barley (alas, no cake flour in my pantry) and both boys are allergic to eggs (which doesn’t make for cookie perfection). I will, however, have to make our regular cookie recipe this week to make myself feel better!

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39 Lauren at Keep It Sweet May 10, 2011 at 12:01 pm

They do look pretty perfect! I now have a huge cookie craving!

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40 Mary Ellen May 10, 2011 at 1:25 pm

Looks very very similar to Alton Brown’s chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe…. I’m guessing the same great taste too! I always freeze my 2T size cookie dough balls first. The cookies always seem to come out more uniform and then I don’t have 30 cookies sitting around my house. LOL

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41 carrie May 10, 2011 at 4:03 pm

I’ve been making these for several years now…and they are THE best. Yes, it takes some planning ahead of time, but it is so so worth it. Words cannot describe it until you actually try one of these. Sometimes I even leave it in the refrigerator for over 24 hours depending on when I make it and when I get home from work. Still great! Less than 24 hours not so great.

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42 Paula B. May 10, 2011 at 5:00 pm

I, too, am delightfully a slave to chocolate chip cookies. And I am proud to have a Ruth Wakefield (the “inventor” of this iconic cookie) cookbook in my possession. But I am definitely open to all c.c. cookie recipes – it is a life’s passion! I have seen this recipe, thought about it, but have not tried it. Having you post this again is all the baking motivation I need. Yum!

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43 Rock Kitaro May 10, 2011 at 6:09 pm

Looks good!!! Thanks for this!!

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44 Pamela May 10, 2011 at 10:12 pm

After all of this time, I still haven’t tried these yet. Maybe I will make them for a get together we are having on Friday night. They looks outstanding!

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45 Hundred Eighty Degrees May 11, 2011 at 11:08 am

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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46 Mellie May 13, 2011 at 6:31 pm

I love chocolate chip cookies! Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies and others are all amazing but there’s just something about chocolate chip…

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47 Rach and Me May 13, 2011 at 10:17 pm

Just finished making these, and they are the yummiest chocolate chip cookies EVER! Thanks so much for the recipe! I didn’t think I patient enough to wait for the dough, but SO worth the wait.

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48 Amy May 17, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Thank you soooo much for posting this recipe! I have been on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie and IMO this is it! They are soooo good and really pretty, too!

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49 Lori May 18, 2011 at 7:57 am

I made these last week, made 4 really large ones and took them to school for the teachers. One teacher said he believes it is the best c.c. cookie he ever had in his life. :)
I have a question, though. I had trouble with crispy edges. Is that from baking on a P.C. stone? I like my cookies soft without crispy edges, and I did NOT overbake them at all. Would parchment paper help that?
Another question: Do these need to be baked while the dough is still cold?

I am ready to bake these right now. I mixed another batch yesterday. :)

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50 Hundred Eighty Degrees May 19, 2011 at 6:13 am

Hi Lori,
I’ve tried baking this recipe few days ago. I baked while the dough is still cold. This is how I did : I chilled the dropped dough on a baking tray lined with baking sheet and transferred the tray out from the fridge straight into the preheated oven. I must say that this is the best cookie so far.
Feel free to visit my blog “Hundred Eighty Degrees” :) -

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51 Brooke (The Flour Sack) May 19, 2011 at 11:57 pm

These are my absolute FAVORITE, too!!!! I can’t eat another chocolate chip cookie now – call me a cookie snob, but these have changed my perception of chocolate chip cookies. The are just SO good. Yours look absolutely scrumptious.

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52 Memoria May 20, 2011 at 2:06 am

I’ve made these cookies a few times with and without the waiting time and didn’t notice a difference in the texture of the cookies. The flavors deepened a bit more each day, but there were good before and after the wait time. I love how your cookies look.

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53 Sarah May 20, 2011 at 5:52 am

Keep meaning to try this recipe. Have you tried these with brown butter before?

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54 Mai Mai May 20, 2011 at 7:06 am

Looks heavenly! A recipe that calls for cake flour usually turns me off (just because I don’t know where to get it), but I might have to make an exception for this one. :)

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55 mountain girl heidi May 24, 2011 at 4:45 pm

I think I found mine at Wal-Mart. Just look in the cake mix/flour section.

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56 Julia May 23, 2011 at 12:19 pm

Pinned it! I have a new obsession with cookies with cake flour!

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57 The American Palate May 24, 2011 at 5:48 am

Wow! These really are tasty! I baked just a couple before the 24hr chilling, just to test them of course, and the flavor is realllly nice! They didn’t rise and look all pretty like in the picture here posted, probably b/c they weren’t chilled. Going to pop the rest in now and see the results.
Thanks for sharing a great tasting recipe! I looove cookies :)

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58 mountain girl heidi May 24, 2011 at 4:44 pm

These cookies were really good; however, I’m not sure if they were worth the extra hassle of waiting 24 hours to bake them. I have two other chocolate chip cookie recipes that are my trusty sidekicks, and I found them equally comparable to these. If anything, I almost like them better that the NYT Cookies. I found the NYT CC Cookies to have a subtle flavor similar to that of store bought cookies, and that is a huge flavor no-no in my cookie world. So, delicious as they were, I’m not sure if I’ll take the time to make these again.

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59 New Orleans Honey September 7, 2011 at 1:30 pm

Heidi,
I would love to try the two recipes that you think are better than the NYT cookie recipe. Would you consider sharing them? If so please email me. Thanks,
Honey

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60 Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts May 27, 2011 at 10:29 pm

I have never wavered from my tried and true recipe – but with all the rave reviews, I am going to have to give these a try.

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61 Karen Rowland June 2, 2011 at 2:06 pm

THE best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever put in my mouth…and I’ve put a lot of CC cookies in my mouth in my time!

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62 Jamie June 2, 2011 at 6:14 pm

Karen–

Woo-Hoo!!! So glad you like them!

–Jamie

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63 Brenda June 29, 2011 at 8:22 pm

I baked these tonight. Definitely worth the chill time. I thought they were going to be salty after tasting the dough. They were not. I used the Nestle dark chocolate morsels you recommended. My husband said “Wow!” The only problem I had was that one cookie decided to run off the cookie sheet. So it wasn’t perfect, had to hide the evidence. I really like the Levain copy cat recipe you posted too. I must have an addiction to big cookies. Thanks for another great recipe, I really enjoy your blog.

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64 Brenda July 14, 2011 at 4:30 pm

So I did my own taste test between these and the big chocolate chip cookies from your site. I posted a note on Facebook and tagged you in it. I can’t figure out how to link the note on here, but you should be able to check it out since you are tagged. It was a lot of fun to make so many cookies. Thanks for the recipes!

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65 Ruth August 3, 2011 at 9:22 am

These are such good chocolate chip cookies :) Can’t believe I would ever say that, since I normally do not like choc chip cookies! I would never use Nestle chips in anything – they have a waxy taste/consistency – only use ghiradelli or buy a block of good quality chocolate to chop – it is well worth the extra $$ it costs because the taste is beyond compare.

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66 itzybitzy August 10, 2011 at 10:09 pm

absolutely fabulous cookies.I’m always a bit weary of recipes.. even with good ratings.. but the 24 hour wait was worth it. I have never tasted better chocolate cookies – and I am sure proud that I – being an early baker was able to make them perfect- 10 stars!!!

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67 Robin September 15, 2011 at 12:31 pm

I just made these and they are delicious! My cookies came out very flat, unlike your photo. Any suggestions on getting a little thicker cookie? Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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68 Nicolette November 15, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Have you had any success doubling this recipe? 6 or 12 cookies seems far to little for my liking :)

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69 Jamie November 15, 2011 at 8:15 pm

Nicolette-
The yield is based upon a really big cookie. If you want regular sized cookies, you’ll end up with many more. Hope this helps.
-Jamie

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70 Elda November 23, 2011 at 12:03 am

I make these cookies all the time, and they are absolutely amazing. Everyone I know requests these cookies from me. My only problem is that the next day they are all dried up. No longer moist or chewy. I keep them in an air tight container so I don’t know what the problem is.

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71 brianna February 2, 2012 at 3:18 pm

THESE ARE BY FAR THE BEST COOKIES EVER. i had been searching, and searching, and searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for as long as i could remember and i loveee soft cookies with a crispy edge and gooey middle. these fit that description perfectly. they are not whatsoever cake-like (what i hate) and beyond amazing in looks and taste. i suggest anyone looking to bake the best cookies ever, and possibly gain 20 lbs in the next day try these babies.

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72 Ashlee February 14, 2012 at 1:02 pm

Omg, these cookies are amazing!! Definitely the best I’ve ever tasted, and they came out perfectly. I did run into a similar problem like Elda’s: a couple of days after I baked them, the cookies were slightly crumbly (but still delicious) even though I kept them sealed tightly in a plastic bag. Not sure what I did wrong, but if anyone could offer tips/suggestions for next time, that would be great! (I used precise measurements, made sure to cream the butter and sugars very well for 5 mins, I doubled checked my baking soda with some vinegar to make sure it was still good, and baked my cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment. I did have to adjust the baking time to lower than 18-20 mins, as my oven runs a bit hot, so I just kept an eye on them until they were golden brown.)

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73 Hollie February 18, 2012 at 6:32 pm

I love, love, love these cookies and I’m not a chocolate lover. I was also in love with the appearance being that I am a freak for pretty looking eats…lol I used chocolate disks from Jacques Torres with a 70% cocoa content and the ooey gooey goodness of the melted chocolate was a crowd pleaser!

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