Chocolate Chip Cookies

To me, chocolate chip cookies are synonymous with childhoods, whether it is freshly baked made-from-scratch cookies, or a particular version of store bought cookies. Growing up there were Cookie Time cookies, a large format cookie with generous chocolate chunks throughout. If I really wanted to, I could break the cookie into pieces and sneak them as a snack during class.  Then Christmas would come round, and they would do Cookie Time buckets - miniature versions of their chocolate chip chunk cookies in a bucket.  I'd have to buy 2 or 3 buckets just to get through that season, because goodness, they certainly didn't last very long. You'd have one, then two, and next thing you know you've eaten the ENTIRE bucket - whoops!  I kept telling myself I was getting good karma points though, because every bucket sold was raising funds toward the Cookie Time Charitable Trust.

Now you might think that there are much better cookies out there than the Cookie Time, and you're probably right. But the smell and taste of the Cookie Time cookies bring me straight back to my childhood.  Now that I am older, wiser (debatable) and no longer have a Cookie Time cookie available up the road from me anymore (cue tears), I've had to come up with a solution.  Although Cookie Time cookies will forever have a soft spot in my heart, I have been on the hunt for a go-to chocolate chip cookie I could whip up at home.  

My favourite type of chocolate chip cookies have now become crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and exploding with chocolate chips at every bite.  Because let's be serious, you can't call it a chocolate chip cookie if you don't get the chocolate chips in every bite.  The best thing about baking chocolate chip cookies? The fact your kitchen smells like a bakery and licking the bowl, spatula and beater of the cookie dough batter. Waste not, want not is my philosophy...!

So while trialing a few cookies along the way (and I wonder why my waistline is expanding...) I came across these today.  These were great as they were a simple dry ingredient, wet ingredient, mix both together dealio - a fantastic option to get the kidlets involved without screwing up the final results. I tweaked these just slightly, adding Maldon flaky sea salt instead of regular salt which I think adds a slightly 'cleaner' salt taste to the cookies. However, you can use regular salt as per the original recipe if you don't have flaky salt on hand.  
Ingredients:
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Makes approximately 24 generous cookies)

You can freeze the cookie dough and bake prior to needing them, or you can freeze and bake off batches at a time as needed.  If you are in a warm climate like myself, you may find it easier to chill the dough for 15 minutes or so prior to rolling and baking.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (or about 3/4 tsp if using sea salt flakes)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (I used castor sugar, but I would assume granulated will be fine)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups of dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 165 degrees celscius.  Grease two trays or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and regular salt in a bowl.  If using flaky salt, put in after sifting flour and baking soda.  Set aside.  In another bowl, cream together melted butter, brown and white sugar, until well blended.  

Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.  Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended.

Mix in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula.  Drop cookie dough onto the pre-prepared tray three inches apart.  You can either use a tablespoon to make smaller cookies, or about 1/4 cup to make giant cookies.  

Bake smaller cookies in the pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes or larger cookies for 15-17 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on the size of your cookie drops so keep an eye on them), or until the edges are lightly toasted.  

Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes in the baking tray before removing and putting them on cooling racks to cool completely.

There's just something so deliciously comforting as a warm chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven.  I hope these become your new favourite chocolate chip cookies as these are fast becoming mine!