Update 1/11: Well, after nearly three years of having this chocolate chip cookie recipe in my arsenal, I’m happy to report that it is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I make. {Now, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are another conversation for another time since I can’t stop playing around with those variations.} This chocolate chip cookie recipe is pure perfection. The cookies are buttery without being greasy and bake up thick and soft. Whenever I bake these and I open the oven to take out a tray of cookies, I surprise myself every time with how flawless they look. I seriously can’t help standing back and admiring my work. Did I really just make such a perfect looking cookie? Oh, yes I did. And you can, too!
Over the years, I’ve updated and changed the way I’ve made these cookies…just slightly. I bake them at a slightly higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, never use unsalted butter (sorry, food purists!), and I don’t mess around with the original fussy dough-forming instructions. As always, the brilliance behind these cookies is the melted butter – love not having to remember to soften butter.
Consider this the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need!
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Note: I’ve had great success baking these cookies at 325 degrees for 13-ish minutes or 350 degrees for about 11 minutes (each oven will vary in time). Basically, do what you have the time and patience for. I usually stick with 350 because it is easier to remember and two minutes faster. Time is money, right??
*Makes 2-3 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets. Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don’t overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
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Chrissy from France – 12 tablespoons of butter is 3/4 cup which should equal 6 ounces, if I’m not mistaken. Good luck!
HELP girls, I really want to try this recipe but what is 12 T of butter in oz or grams please?
We are so bad in France at making cookies..!
Give this recipe a try! It’s one that I made up and EVERYONE loves them!Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies!!Ingredients: 1 c. butter (no substitutes), softened¾ c. granulated sugar¾ c. brown sugar8 oz. cream cheese, softened1 tsp. vanilla1 lg. egg2 ¼ c. flour1 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy. Add cream cheese and continue to mix until all lumps are gone and it is nice and smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix. Slowly add flour, a little at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix well, but not too much! Turn off your mixer and add the chocolate chips, folding by hand with a rubber spatula. Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet; make sure they aren’t too close though! Bake in your oven for 9-11 minutes, I do mine for 10. Cool on a rack and once they are all the way cool put into a plastic bag or container and keep in the fridge! Since they have cream cheese in them you don’t want them to spoil! These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! They stay nice and moist!
I was actually just going to post this same recipe to our recipe blog. I just tried it after a friend made them for me and they were pretty tasty! I have never been able to make thick cookies until now! Yipeee!
You can never go wrong with CI! I’ll bookmark this one to try
Deborah – I bet you will LOVE these. Let me know what you think!Jodee – I’m glad you loved them, too – they really are some of the best I’ve made and tasted and I’m glad you agree!
elizabeth – thanks! I’m really glad you liked the cookies; they really are some of my favorites. You made my day with your comment – I’m glad the recipes haven’t failed you yet. I’ll cross my fingers that doesn’t happen!
I know what you mean about finding “the one” – it’s hard not to love them all. These look so good though!
I just made these and they are fantastic. Thanks for sharing all of these great recipes. Everything I have made (at least 8 of your recipes) this month has turned out great. My family thanks you for getting me out of a cooking rut! Trying your recipes actually makes me excited to fix dinner and try something new!
Kim – that recipe sounds fantastic!Brandy – I am thrilled you liked the cookies! I am with you – I have made so many chocolate chip cookies and these are definitely at the top of my list.
I just made these cookies and they turned out PERFECT!! I have tried so many recipes and this one is a keeper!! My husband can’t stop eating them! Thanks for the recipe!
I just made chocolate chip cookies last night! I really liked the version I made, but they weren’t very thick, and I like them thick and chewy. I’ll have to give these a try!
These cookies are amazing! Usually I make chocolate chip cookies and they go flat…these looked (and tasted) perfect! Definitely a keeper!
I will give this a try – I just put my choc chip recipe on my blog last week. Must be something in the air
I posted about this recipe a while back and these are my new favorite! Yours look great!
Heidi – thanks for letting me know you like these. They are my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and I’m glad they were a hit with you, too!
I’m definitely making these today to finally have something to put in the cookie jar that has been empty lately.
I’m really excited about it.
I’m looking for a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe with TONS of chocolate chips without ruining the batter (I’ve found that adding LOTS of extra chocolate chips makes it hard for the cookies to hold together). I had some store bought ones at a party the other day, and they were to die for. They were more chocolate chip than they were cookie. Any ideas?
I’m sure these cookies will be amazing. All the other recipes I’ve made from here have been.
I’ll let you know later on tonight how they turn out.
Ok, so I didn’t get around to making them until thismorning, but they’re delicious. I HAD to eat the two that broke as I was getting them off the cookie sheet.
I think I am going to package the dough in a cute container, and freeze it to gift throughout the holidays, as well as keeping my cookie jar fully stocked.
They came together SO fast (or maybe that was just because I used my new mixer instead of a spatula) and bake up beautifully.
I can’t wait to put them all in the cookie jar.
Krista – glad these cookies turned out for you (and I’m with you – the broken cookies have to be eaten right away!). Thanks for letting me know how they turned out. Did they have enough chocolate chips for your taste?
The cookie looks awesome – will try this week. Question from a novice baker – what is 1-2 c? One to two cups of chocolate chip or was that a typo and you meant 1/2 cup of chocolate chips? Thanks!
I’m actually making them AGAIN right now… they were amazing with the perfect amount of chocolate chips! My brother’s girlfriend came over, let herself in, took cookies and left on more than one occasion.
I went to the cookie jar to have one for breakfast, since there were a few left last night… I was SURE there would be at least one for me to eat.
I was wrong. Our cookie jar is completely empty.
I looked through all of the other cookie recipes on this site, and I decided I just have to make these again, since they were such a hit. Plus, I already have all the ingredients…
(i always buy enough stuff to make your recipes at least twice when i try something new from this site… they’re that dependably good…)
Twice in two weeks… I’d say these are some amazing cookies! And easy to make… for sure.
I love that the butter is melted already when you put it in, because I never remember to get butter out beforehand, and it ALWAYS melts when I try to thaw it in the microwave…
Another amazing recipe!
Anonymous – the 1-2 cups means you can choose how many chocolate chips to add. If you like your cookies with lots of chocolate chips, add the full 2 cups. Hope that helps!
Krista – that’s high praise for these cookies! Thanks for checking in again. I am so, so glad you like them (enough to make them again)!
Have you ever made these at a high-altitude? I live at about 6300 ft and it seems I’m always having to try cookie recipes 3-4 times before I can figure out how to adjust for my elevation. My cookies often end up flat, and I’m really looking forward to a thick cookie! Any suggestions before I give these a try?
Rachel – the first time I made these (and many times afterwards), I was living at 6,000 elevation also and they always turned out. Now I live at a much lower elevation but when I lived at a high elevation, they worked out just fine. I hope having said that, that they work out for you, too!
Sounds great! Thanks for the feedback – I can’t wait to give them a try!
Every recipe I have tried from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe has been fantastic and received rave reviews. So when I was looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, I came here. While the cookie dough for this recipe was awesome, I was less than satisfied with the final product. They were not thick and chewy at all. We ended up throwing most of them away.
Sabrina – I’m sorry to hear that these chocolate chip cookies didn’t work out for you. It is a highly tested recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and with all the rave reviews, I’m surprised you didn’t like them – thanks for letting me know anyway!
I made these today and brought them to a bridal shower- everyone loved them! No one could eat just one and I got amazing compliments on them! Thank you so much, they were a delicious hit!!
Kylie – thanks for letting me know these were well received at the bridal shower! That’s awesome and I’m so glad you got great compliments on them.
Made these for my family tonight and WOW!~they are delicious. Loved the texture. I only had 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips so I added 1-1/2 white chocolate chips as well. Super good. This will go in my keeper file. Thanks.
AMORRIS – I’m so happy you liked these cookies! I’m normally not a white chocolate fan, but actually, I can see the addition of the white chocolate chips in these being quite delightful!
Very good cookies. Not as thick as I expected, but still very delicious!
Thanks, Megan!
I had recently gone to a cafe and gotten a great thick chocolate chip cookie that had coconut and macadamia nuts in it. I’d searched my cookie cookbooks and recipes to see if I could find a dough that was substantial sounding enough to hold all of these additions and replicate what I had eaten. I’ve tried two cookie recipes from your site, so I went back through them and came across this one, which sounded like it might work.
And wouldn’t you know it…it was great. I added 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped macadamia nuts to this recipe, and they came out amazing.
I’ve had a long-standing, tried and true chocolate chip recipe that everyone loves, but this is a contender. I honestly don’t know which one is better! Thanks
Shannon – wow, coconut and macadamia nuts sound like it would take this cookie over the top! I’m thrilled it turned out well enough to be a contender for your favorite.
I made these today for the first time and you are right, they are the BEST! So good and so easy to make! Thanks for the great recipe!
My Life…- glad you loved these! I just popped over to your site and saw your pumpkin crunch cake. I’m making a version of that next week! Good to see you have a similar recipe and love it!
Mel, I have made more chocolate chip cookie recipes than I can count over the years, but I think this is going to be The One. The One and Only Keeper. It’s so easy, doesn’t make a million cookies (reasonably sized recipe
), and just simply… delicious.
I’ve made several of your recipes and don’t comment very often, but they have all turned out fabulous.
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing!
Emily – Yay for a keeper of a recipe! It’s always fun to find “the one” and I’m thrilled this is it for you!
I am usually kind of underwhelmed by chocolate chip cookies, but my kids kept asking me to make some for them yesterday, so I figured if anyone could lead me to a better recipe than the one I’ve been making, it would of course be you. First of all–hallelujah for the melted butter. And secondly–these have forever kicked my old chocolate chip cookie recipe to the curb. These are, in fact, the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Nice and thick with a slightly crunchy edge but chewy and moist on the inside. I’m equal parts sad/glad I sent the rest with my husband to work. Sad that I don’t have anymore to eat, and glad that I won’t have the guilt of single handedly eating a dozen cookies by myself.
Reyna – I kind of agree on the chocolate chip cookie thing. I much prefer a loaded cookie with oatmeal or coconut in them, also. Having said that, I’m glad this plain ol’ choc chip recipe worked out great!
I made these cookies for the first time a month or so ago and found them to be rather bland, but I had a feeling that browning the butter on the stove first would give them a better flavor. I tried it today and I love how they turned out! The browned butter gives them a much more distinctive flavor. I like how quickly it all comes together too.
Vicky – glad you liked these with the browned butter factor!
Oh these look SO GOOD!!! I want to make them tonight but I have one small question about the recipe (I am new at this stuff so bear with me… ha). When it says rotate the sheets half way through, what do you mean by that? Am I putting two sheets in at once (one on top and one on bottom) and then switching them half way through?
Dayna – I usually disregard that part of the instructions and just bake one cookie sheet at a time, then I don’t have to rotate the sheets. However, if you want to bake two baking sheets at a time, each on a different oven rack, then halfway through the baking time, switch the baking sheet so the cookies that were on top now go on bottom, etc. This way the cookies bake evenly (since different parts of the oven cook at higher/lower temperatures unless you have a spiffy convection oven). I hope that helps!
YUM-O! I made these this morning and found my new favorite choc chip cookie recipe. I ran out of flour (gasp!) and had to substitute 1 and 1/8 cup of whole wheat flour. They were still delicious and I like to tell myself they are more healthy that way.
My 17 month old would take a bite, and go “mmmmmmmmmm.” Definately a winner. Thanks Mel!
Ciara – so glad you loved these cookies and I love that they worked out so well using a lot of whole wheat flour. Awesome!
Wow! You weren’t kidding! These are amazing. I just finished baking my last batch and they are almost all gone! These cookies taste like they came from a bakery. Thank you for doing the research to find our new fave chocolate chip cookie.
Thanks, Jenna!
I can’t make chocolate chip cookies. I just can’t. I accepted and lamented that fact long ago. They always turn out flat and hard and I’m always so disappointed. So I simply gave up trying. But I got the craving today for some chocolate chip cookies, and it just would not go away. I decided to try again, with this recipe. And now I am jumping up and down because it was a SUCCESS! For the first time EVER, I made not just a good, but a DANG GOOD chocolate chip cookie! I even took a picture of them and sent it to my very impressed SIL. Thank you for helping me achieve chocolate chip cookie greatness!! I am so thrilled!!
P.S. The cookies that were on the top rack first and then moved to the bottom rack half way through did not turn out as thick, although they were still delicious. Any ideas why?
Carlin – I’m beyond thrilled that this recipe has transformed you into a chocolate chip cookie baker extraordinaire! Thanks for letting me know! As for the browning, switching racks can be tricky as far as browning the cookies evenly. The top of the even is a bit hotter than the middle and so cookies can bake a bit more unevenly if left up on the top rack for too long. I usually try to just bake one rack at a time in the middle of the oven, but if you do want to do two sheets at a time, I’d suggest maybe switching them about a minute before the halfway mark.
I love these! I live at 6,400 ft. and they came out a bit flatter than I had hoped, but they still had the crispy and chewy texture. I refrigerated the dough before scooping. They were delicious. I never really crave chocolate chip cookies, but I am already thinking about making them again.
Jennifer – I’m happy you love these cookies. To help combat the flattening issue since you live at such a high elevation, you might try adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the dough.
This may be a dumb question- remember, I am new to the cookie baking thing- but how do you keep the cookies soft? I LOVE the results the day of, but they get hard by the next day. Any tricks?
Carlin – well, the main key is to underbake them slightly, and then after they have cooled, I always, always freeze the baked cookies. When we want a few, I pop them in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 50% power and they are soft and delicious!
I cannot believe I haven’t made these yet! If you’re claiming that they are the perfect chocolate chip cookie, then they must be! Thanks for updating it to bring it to my attention!
Mel, these are my favorite cookies too. this is a good blend between cooks illustrated and Alton browns the chewy. I will try yours with these modifications. thanks as always for sharing!
So I attempted these cookies and I dont know what I did wrong! When the came out they hadnt flattened out at all, they were still in mounds…while still delicious I was wondering if you had any tips as to what may have gone wrong?
Thanks!
Shantay – did you happen to weigh your ingredients or measure with measuring cups? It might be due to the amount of flour. If you weighed the flour then I’m not sure what went wrong – but if you don’t have a scale and scooped up the flour, it might be a case of overflouring the dough. That’s the main reason I can think for cookies not flattening in the oven. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you!
Mel-
1 egg
1 egg yolk
So is that just 1 whole egg? or do you mean 1 egg (with yolk), and then add an extra yolk?
Thanks!
Hi Brett – so you’ll need one whole egg and then one egg yolk. Make sense?
Yep. Thanks!
Just made these tasty cookies. Great recipe…the best part is the melted butter. They’re beauties! Thanks again!
Just pulled the last batch out of the oven. They are pretty good. I didn’t get thick (probably because I don’t weigh my flour), but I sure got chewy.
I can say that this is “the best” chocolate chip cookie recipe because it is the same recipe I use when I make chocolate chip cookies. I too looked for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for a very very long time and I came up with this one too.
Best cookies ever! I’ve been looking for a chocolate chip cookie this good for years. Thanks!
These are wonderful!! I made them yesterday, and they are my new favorite! My usual standby, the recipe on Butter Flavor Crisco for choc chip cookies, just tastes a little “fake” to me these days (probably the artificial butter flavoring). Yours have great texture and bake beautifully. I used Ghirardhelli chips – 1 cup semi sweet and 1 cup bittersweet (60% cacao). Delish!
My wonderful friend Mel! I write to you as though we are old dear friends because I have followed your blog for eons and you have made me an exponentially better cook and as a result of that wife and mother, what better definition for a friend.
Anyway, I made these classic little gems two days ago and insisted that my husband bring in the rest of them to work the day following since my waistband would have expanded considerably if left to my own devices.
He heeded my command and promptly sent out an e-mail stating “My wife baked some cookies and told me to bring them in today… she said they might help me make more friends”. With in 10 minutes the entirety of the contents of his tupperware container were gobbled up with many hearty claps on the back and new friendships forged. All co-workers agreed that the cookies were great and his friendship was okay too.
So, Mel, because of you I have become a better person AND my husband is making more friends at work
I give your tried and true recipes a standing ovation! Thank you so much for this wonderful website.
Your friend,
Mickie
P.S. Tell your Aunt Marilyn that her Banana Bread recipe is DIVINE and genius. I believe more batter is eaten then the bread however, I can’t get it in the oven quickly enough.
I think I’ve positively died and gone to heaven! These cookies are sinful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
I have to tell you I have made these cookies twice now and they have turned out great both times! My only change was 1/2 cup of reeses pieces candies and 1 1/2 cup choc chips for a light peanut butter taste. I also turn my baking sheet around after 5 minutes for even cooking because my oven is old. Thanks for sharing all of your great recipes. I love this website.
These are amazing cookies, my daughter Ashley gave me your website, love it. These cookies are so good for moist climates.
These are great cookies! I froze half of the dough balls and they were only in my freezer for 3 days. Friends came over after we went out to dinner and we baked them right up…they were better than anything on the dessert menu that night! You know it’s a good recipe when your friend calls the next day for the recipe…I directed her here…Thanks for such a wonderful food blog…you do a fantastic job!
OMG!!! I just made these cookies and just WOW! So moist and delicious. My kids are just gobbling them up – I had to say no more! This one is a keeper! I never ever comment recipes and I just had to on this one. I also made the chili recipe and it was just fantastic! I put it into my recipe book after just one try, my husband and kids loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and it was just right for us! Great site! I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!! Thank you!
Just wanted to tell you that I made these and all the family loved them. I got 44 cookies from the recipe. I also substituted 4 ounces of chocolate chips for toffee chunks. Delish. Also, I baked them longer, maybe 16 minutes. Seemed kind of time intensive to me, but I’m just getting into this whole from scratch thing so I’m sure it’s just me.
These are divine. I have a Mrs. Fields recipe that I USED to make, but this knocked it out of the top spot. I love the buttery richness without the grease. I love that even though the butter is melted, they don’t go flat. I love the slightly crispy outside and chewy inside. These are perfect. I used Guittard mik chips and vanilla bean puree instead of vanilla. My kids inhaled these. I need to hide them because I want to try them when they are a day old. Thank you, Mel, for yet another winner. It seems like other blogs and websites are letting me down but my sister and I agree, Mel never fails us! You are our trusted source.
I’ve never had much success with chocolate chip cookies, although they are my kids’ favorites. This recipe is a winner. It batter was a cinch to pull together thanks to the melted butter. This is the version I’ll be making from here on out. Thanks!
I made these tonight, and they are super yum! Thanks. : )
Also on a search for the best chocolate chip cookie, I tested these from Cook’s Illustrated and it is now my new go to recipe! Perfection!
I made these this weekend. Hands down the most gorgeous chocolate chip cookie I have ever made. Seriously. All my other chocolate chip recipes are going in the trash.
Mmm…great recipe. I made these tonight (half recipe) and they turned out great. Even only making half, I still got 2 dozen cookies. I’m definitely not complaining.
This recipe is delicious!!! I’ve always hated making chocolate chip cookies because they never turn out good. These make me want to make chocolate chip cookies for every occasion!! They are FANTASTIC!!!
Our family favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe has begun to fail consistently. I don’t know if it’s because of the change in Crisco (elimination of trans fats) or if our tastes are changing. I began my search for a new recipe here. I love these soft yet chewy cookies. I froze some for my daughter’s lunch and feel they came out even better –if that is possible. Husband misses the oats (from our original recipe) so I’m off to try the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies today. The kids and I definitely see this as a keeper though. Thanks!
These cookies looked amazing from the picture. I baked them up today after having saved this recipe on Pinterest awhile ago. I followed the directions exactly, underbaked the first batch by a few minutes (even though they were in a 350 oven for 12 minutes) and the texture was just weird. They did not come out looking like the picture at all. Unfortunately for me, I’m still on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
My husband declared these the best chocolate chip cookies that I have made for him. Thanks!
Yum—just made these and had to add valentine M&M’s since I was short chocolate chips. They are fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
If you were doubling the recipe, would you use three eggs?
Hi Marilee – whenever I double this I use two large eggs and two egg yolks (I save the whites for egg-white omelets or french toast or something like that). You could try subbing 3 large eggs and see how it goes but I’ve never tried it.
The texture and look of these cookies, yes- Perfect! But I found them to be a little bland/flavorless. I made them as the recipe stated but next time I will add extra vanilla and maybe a dash of cinnamon. It gives a chocolate chip cookie a subtle something extra and makes it unique! I ALWAYS add a dash of cinnamon to my choc. chip cookies, so maybe I just got used to the flavor in my cookies.
Two for two! Second recipe I’ve attempted from your site and it did not disappoint! Amazing cookies and so easy to make. Thank you!!!
I am making these cookies tonight… I will let you know how they turn out!
Does it matter butter or margarine?
Ever since we moved into our house we haven’t been able to get a fluffy chocolate chip cookie… We’ve tried almost every variation out there do I hope this is our answer!
Sheri – I always use butter, never margarine, so I would highly recommend not subbing the margarine for butter since I can’t tell you how they will turn out. I hope the cookies work out well for you!
Hi! I found your recipe on Pinterest and I am so glad I did! I accidentally only used half the butter and I did use margarine (I don’t know why but I was thinking one stick was a whole cup so I only used a stick and a half) but they still turned out awesome! My husband said they were the BEST cookies he’s ever eaten! My whole family loved them and they were so easy to make! They came out looking so perfect just like your picture! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This is the only one I will ever use now!
I’d like to start off by saying that since the first time I tried one of your recipes, I’ve followed your blog regularly and consider your recipes to be golden. Tried and true. (That first recipe was Sweet and Sour Chicken.)
I tried these cookies tonight, and they are delicious!! I did have trouble with my first batch burning on the bottoms, but coming out light and slightly golden on the top. I had baked them on parchment-lined trays at 350 deg. for 11-12 mins on the middle rack. The next batch I put on the top rack at 325 deg. for 13-14 mins, and they turned out beautifully! Have you ever had a problem with your cookies burning on the bottoms? This isn’t the first time it’s happened to me, so I’d like to figure out exactly what I’m doing wrong.
Thanks for sharing your talents and recipes with us all. I am inspired by your posts.
Beth – thanks for the comment! Are you using dark coated baking trays or the light aluminum one? Sometimes a dark finish on a baking sheet will cause the cookies to over darken on the bottoms. I haven’t ever had a problem with the cookies burning on the bottom – but I’m glad you found a way around the problem by baking at a lower temp and on a higher rack. It could also just be that your oven bakes warmer than others – ovens can actually vary in exact oven temperature.
Hi Mel,
I came across your blog and have been browsing for longer than I should (I’m at work, shhhhhh.). I tried making the Cook’s Illustrated recipe twice before and both times it was a disaster. The dough was too runny and the cookies flatten too quickly in the oven, even after I chilled the dough (which wasn’t in the Cook’s Illustrated instructions anyway). I ended up having to add a half cup of flour. That saved them, and they were delicious and moist on the first day, but they turned mealy by the second (possibly because of the additional cup of flour?). What could’ve I done wrong? I live in a tropical country, could the heat and humidity have anything to do with it? Thanks in advance for any help you can give. I am hell bent on finding the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it seems melted butter and me don’t mix.
Oh, I forgot to mention, they flattened so quickly that I had one big thin cookie on my cookie sheet within two minutes, I think. That was before I added the half cup of flour.
Hi Kat – I’m glad you found your way here! About the cookies, yes, I think heat/humidity/elevation – all of that – can play into how baked goods turn out so it’s impossible to say exactly what went wrong. Do you weigh your flour or measure it in cups? That could possible be the discrepancy in flour amounts if you are scooping the flour in cups versus weighing. I adapted my recipe a little bit from the original Cook’s Illustrated – I reduced the size of the cookies since I think they shape theirs in 1/4 or 1/3 cup amounts to make really large cookies and I also increased the baking time slightly. Those changes may be worth a try but it sounds like you definitely need that extra flour to help the cookies keep their shape. Also, make sure the butter is slightly cooled (not melted and piping hot) – that will definitely help with consistency. Good luck!
Thank you, Mel. I actually haven’t tried to make those cookies again because I worry that I’ll mess them up for a 3rd time. So my go-to recipe for now is David Lebovitz’s salted butter one. But I’ll give it a whirl soon and let you know how it goes.
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