How to make Chocolate Chip cookies

Things You'll Need

• A preheated oven (to 350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Two cookie sheets
• Two mixing bowls
• One wooden spoon and one wire whisk (two wooden spoons will work if you haven't got a whisk)
• At least one cooling rack
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Two eggs
• 2-3 cups of semisweet or milk chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips (or a combination of the three!)

Step One

To start, read through the recipe entirely, making sure you've got all the ingredients and equipment necessary. This eliminates hectic trips to the grocery store in the middle of mixing. Be sure you understand all the instructions. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Two

In one of the mixing bowls, place the flour, baking soda, and salt. Use a wire whisk (or wooden spoon) to combine the ingredients. Your goal in this step is to spread the salt and baking soda evenly throughout the flour, so don't be afraid to stir thoroughly.

Step Three

In the second mixing bowl, place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to cream these ingredients together. Alternatively, place the ingredients in the bowl of an tabletop mixer (like a KitchenAid), and use the paddle attachment to mix. When you mix, the sugar crystals are cutting into the butter and creating pockets of air, which will ultimately make your cookie lighter and more tender. The mixing process will take a few minutes; the resulting mixture should be light colored and fluffy looking.

Step Four

When you've finished mixing, add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to incorporate the first very well before adding the second. In a cookie recipe, eggs add tenderness and act as a binding agent, holding the flour and butter together. When you mix, you're incorporating more air, so the mixture will become lighter and fluffier looking.

Step Five

Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture in two additions, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. When you add the flour in a cookie dough, the gluten proteins found in the flour begin linking together to form strands. While gluten strands are good in that they provide structure to your cookie, too many of them will make the cookie tough and unpleasantly chewy. You don't want to form extra gluten strands by mixing more than is necessary.

Step Six

Add the chocolate chips, chunks, or mini chips. This dough works best with 2-3 cups of chocolate, so pick your favorite (or a combination!) and add as much as you'd like.

Step Seven

Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet (usually 9-12 cookies will fit on a sheet). Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. You may need to rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking to ensure even browning. A good test to determine doneness is to gently pick up the edge of one cookie with a metal spatula; if the bottom of the cookie bends, then it is done. If the cookie breaks instead of bending, it needs more time. When the cookies have finished baking, cool them for 5 minutes on the sheet, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool with a big glass of milk!