Toll House Goes Shfancy

aka Super Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daddy is a big fan of cookies, brownies, ice cream, & treats in any form, although you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at him. So yesterday, when I was having a major chocolate craving, dad was all in favor of some chocolate chip cookies, but the recipe off of the Hershey’s bag just wasn’t going to cut it; rather, he wanted to try a new recipe from our favorite magazine, “Cook’s Illustrated,” for the perfectly chewy yet crispy cookie. I was a bit skeptical, but I’m always up to try a new recipe.

Verdict – These cookies are crazy delicious, but a bit more time consuming & labor intensive than Hershey’s or Toll House recipes, calling for browned butter & a separated egg yolk, among other things. This recipe also gives a much smaller yield, only about 20 cookies. If you’re planning on feeding the masses, stick with your usual favorite. But if you have a special someone in your life that loves butter & chocolate chip cookies, in that order, this recipe just might pave your way into their heart.

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tblsp. (1 ¾ sticks) butter (if using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to ½ tsp.)
½ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips ( I used about ¾ cup semis, ½ cup milk chocolate – I like my cookies a bit sweeter
- you can also add ¾ cup chopped & toasted pecans or walnuts

1)Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat your baking sheet w/ non-stick spray.

2)Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat until completely melted. Butter should sizzle & bubble – foam might form - don’t worry, that’s just fine – just keep stirring. Continue cooking butter while stirring constantly until butter is golden brown & has a nutty aroma, about 2 or three minutes. Remove skillet from heat & stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir until all the butter is completely melted. Transfer hot butter to a heat proof bowl – you will add the rest of the ingredients to this bowl, so make it a big one.

3)Add both sugars, salt, & vanilla & stir thoroughly. Add egg & egg yolk & stir until the mixture is smooth. Let this mixture stand for about 3 minutes, stir again, & let it rest for another three minutes. I would suggest using these 3 minute breaks to dance around the kitchen to your favorite song. Stir the mixture again – it should be thick, smooth, & shiny.

4)Stir in flour & baking soda. Add chocolate chips (& nuts, if you so choose).

5)Shape dough into balls about two inches in size & place on greased cookie sheet, 8 at a time. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes – the cookies should still be puffy, with golden brown edges & slightly soft centers. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!