The Puffy Cookies Recipes

PERFECTLY PUFFY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, butter and Crisco until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Add pudding mix; stir until incorporated.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour with the baking soda and salt. Slowly blend into the egg mixture.
• Add additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour, if needed. The dough should be somewhat like the consistency of pie crust dough...not sticky. I use a total of 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour, depending on the humidity level of the day.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheet. (To achieve a more round, cleaner look, roll the balls of cookie dough in your hand instead of just dropping on the cookie sheet.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are JUST starting to turn golden, rotating baking sheets halfway through. The cookies may not look done, but that is the trick to keeping them puffy and soft. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet on top of wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on the cooling racks.
• *Recipe Note: Make sure your baking soda is not expired. Test this by combining a little with vinegar and water. If not bubbly, get new baking soda or you will have flat cookies.
• Source: Inspired by Erin Rood and Carol Elliott, friends of Pennies on a Platter

PERFECTLY PUFFY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a glass bowl, microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn't be hot - but it should well on it's way to liquid form; remove from microwave.
• Using a stand mixer, beat the melted butter with both sugars until creamy about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated.
• Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand with a large wooden or similar sturdy spoon.
• Roll the dough into 16 largish balls and divide between two cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and just barely golden. Take care not to over bake the cookies as they'll continue to bake as they cool on the pan. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
• Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge- they're my favorite when just chilled! The cookies also freeze beautifully.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, thick, and appear greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.
• Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or up to 3 days. I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight for less spreading.
• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Using a cookie scoop or Tablespoon measuring spoon, measure 3 scant Tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or 60g) of dough for XL cookies or 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces, or 50g) of dough for medium/large cookies. Roll into a ball, making sure the shape is taller rather than wide-almost like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 8-9 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet.
• Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. (XL cookies can take closer to 14 minutes.) The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. This is optional and only for looks. After 10 minutes of cooling on the baking sheets, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.