Chocolate Chip Cookie Perfected!

I'm what you call a cookie monster. I really do love all cookies... all shapes and sizes and flavors. But I am also a chocolate cookie snob. I can tell you for certain that not all chocolate chip cookies are alike. Sure the recipe on the back of the yellow bag is good, but sometimes you want great. My idea of a perfect chocolate chip cookie has a nice balance of sweet and salt. You can taste the brown sugar and the butter, but they do not overpower the chocolate. To me the perfect chocolate chip cookie is made with semisweet or dark chocolate, but I know many of you beg to differ and prefer milk chocolate chips. I do not like my chocolate chip cookies to crack my teeth open. Nor do I like them too soft. Or too cake like. Cookies, in my opinion, should not resemble cake.

I came across this cookie quite by accident as I was flipping through some old Martha Stewart magazines for something entirely different. But Alexander wanted to bake and these were the cookies he wanted to bake. Thanks Alexander!

These cookies are crispy and chewy, rich with brown sugar and butter... these cookies are truly chocolate chip perfection!

Ingredients

(Makes fifty 4-inch cookies)

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheets
3 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups best-quality chocolate chips (I needed more chips and used 2 cups!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment; set aside. Cream butter until smooth; add sugars, and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Into a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Slowly beat dry ingredients into wet mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop 2 to 3 tablespoons dough per cookie onto prepared baking sheets; space dough at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and allow to cool on baking racks.

For this and other fabulous (cookie) recipe visit Martha's site!