Rich & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic. While fancy desserts can be exciting, chocolate chip cookies never disappoint. 

This recipe has gone through a lot of testing and is the first recipe that I've developed from scratch. I've specifically made it to be rich and indulgent and also on the thicker side.

Click here to see how I developed this recipe.

These chocolate chip cookies are made with toasty brown butter for a more complex flavor than your normal butter. It takes a little bit more time but I think that it's worth it. The cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside: just as they should be.

General notes about the recipe

• Chopped chocolate can be substituted with chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Chopped chocolate is preferable because it results in some irregularity in the size of pieces.
• Allowing the butter to cool after browning is crucial if you want a thicker cookie. If you use the melted butter then the cookies will be flatter and more uniform in texture. 
• In the recipe I've described a tearing method after scooping the cookie dough. This is optional and contributes to a craggier look and more irregular crispy bits on the outside. View the demo below for clarification of what this means.



tearing method demo

• After making the dough you can refrigerate them and you can also choose not to. Without refrigeration results in a cookie that tastes more moist and buttery while refrigeration results in a cookie that has a more balanced flavor and is a bit crisper on the edges. However, the difference isn't that noticeable if you refrigerate so it's up to you whether you want to do so. The cookies will be thick and delicious either way, it's really up to your preference in taste and time. 

Rich & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These rich and chewy chocolate chip cookies are full of a toasty brown butter flavor and have a crisp exterior. They're deliciously indulgent just as chocolate chip cookies should be.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield: 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces chopped dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. Place butter in a small saucepan on low-medium heat. As the butter melts, stir to prevent milk solids from sticking to the pan and monitor the color. It should foam up and you will begin to see some white clumps on the surface: these are the milk solids. The butter may sputter a little, this is normal. When you should smell a nutty aroma and the liquid has little dark brown specks dispersed throughout, pour into a heatproof measuring cup to stop cooking. This process should take roughly 10 minutes. 
2. Add cold water to the melted butter to bring it back up to 3/4 cup. Allow the butter to cool by chilling in refrigerator for about an hour or until butter comes to room temperature. It should resolidify and mattify.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. In a large bowl, add the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. The tracks from the whisk should retain their shape even when you are no longer whisking. 
6. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add the baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until incorporated. You can use a whisk or a spatula or any tool of your choice.
7. Alternate between adding sections of the dry ingredients to the large bowl and mixing them in until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. It may appear dry at first: this is completely normal and as you mix the flour will absorb the liquid. 
8. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chopped chocolate.
9. Form dough into 2-3 tablespoon sized spheres, placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow each dough ball to be about 2 inches away from another.
10. (optional) Take each cookie dough sphere and tear off little bits from the top of them and stick the pieces back on. This contributes to a craggier look. See gif in the general notes section above for demo.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking tray before eating.