Homestyle Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipes

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter until smooth and then add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping the sides down as needed.
• Next add the eggs and vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth.
• Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour until incorporated.
• Stir in both chocolates.
• Form about 1/4 cup of cookie dough into a balls and place on baking sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart.
• Place remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges are golden. Tops of cookies might seem undercooked. Make sure to not over-bake!
• Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
• Repeat with remaining dough.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars for 3 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and cafe au lait-colored (use high speed on a hand mixer and medium speed on a stand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat for 2 minutes more. Scrape down the bowl. Add the salt and baking soda and beat briefly until evenly combined. Add the flour and both chocolates, and mix on low speed until the flour is completely blended and the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or scrape the dough into an airtight container and let rest in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours. (Alternatively, if you don't want to wait, form the dough into balls on the baking sheet as instructed below and chill in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drop the dough in firmly packed 1.5-tablespoon balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (I use a #40/1.5-T cookie scoop with a wire trigger.) Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until golden around the edges but still soft and pale in the center. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Note: Some readers have had issues with the cookies being flat. This can happen as a result of using a "softer" flour. I highly recommend King Arthur All Purpose Flour for this recipe -- it's high in protein and gluten, and helps cookies hold their shape.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Add 1 stick of the butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Allow it to melt and bubble up for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling the skillet to keep the butter moving around. When the butter is a medium golden brown, remove from the heat (it will continue browning in the skillet over the next 30 seconds or so!). Pour the butter (and any solids in the bottom) into a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, allow the other stick of butter to soften.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the softened stick of butter together with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until it¿s nice and combined. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl if necessary to make sure everything is incorporated. With the mixer on medium low, very slowly drizzle in the cooled melted butter, making sure to add all the darker brown solids. Scrape the bowl and mix again until everything is combined, 20 to 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Stir together, then add it to the butter mixture in 3 increments, mixing on low after each until it¿s totally incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beat for a few more seconds. Stir in the chocolate chunks and the pecans if using.
• In batches, scoop the cookie dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Press extra chocolate chunks into the tops of each cookie if desired. Refrigerate the scooped cookies for 15 minutes, then bake until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Serve!

SALTED CHOCOLATE CHUNK SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla on medium-high till it's super light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes for a stand mixer; 6 to 8 for a hand mixer). Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and mix just to blend. If necessary, knead the dough with your hands to make sure the flour is totally incorporated. At this point, the dough should be smooth and feel like Play-Doh with no pockets of flour.
• Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don't worry about getting it totally perfect. (Don't be afraid to make them compact. Shortbread is supposed to be dense. That's part of why it's so good.) You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but plastic wrap is easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form a 6-inch log, 2 to 2¼ inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious, crisp edges).
• Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each log into ½-inch-thick rounds (if you hit a chocolate chunk, slowly saw back and forth through the chocolate). If the cookies break or fall apart, just press them back together - the dough is very forgiving. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (they won't spread much). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl.
• Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and blend well; scrape the bowl again. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just mixed; scrape down the bowl. Add the chocolate and optional nuts and mix until incorporated into the dough.
• Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake, switching the position of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown but the centers seem slightly underdone, about 13 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookies will be crisp throughout instead of chewy. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. The cookies will crinkle as they cool. (Store at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 1 week.)

CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.
• Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

HOMESTYLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease cookie sheets.
• Separate eggs. Bring butter to room temperature.
• Combine all ingredients except chocolate and egg whites.
• Mix well.
• Stir in chocolate (and nuts if you like).
• Roll in 1 1/2" balls and place on cookie sheet.
• Flatten balls to 3/8" (Yes, they are pretty thick. They don't spread much.).
• Brush with beaten egg white. Don't skip this step as it creates the distinctive crackly top.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until just starting to brown on the edges. I find baking a single sheet in the top third of the oven gives the best results. They tend to burn on the bottom if baked lower in the oven.
• Cool on the sheets 1-2 minutes until firm enough to move to racks for cooling.
• Alternate preparation method: Roll the dough into a 2 1/2 " diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or freeze for up to several weeks. Before baking, thaw if frozen. Cut into slices 3/8" thick. Brush with egg white and bake as above.