I am sharing this recipe from Cooks Illustrated because it lives up to the title of Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. America’s Test Kitchen takes the Toll House Cookie recipe and using a little science, improves it for this recipe featured in Cooks Illustrated. You start with the following ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a medium size bowl with a whisk and set aside.
The following step is what gives these cookies their unique flavor. Heat 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until dark golden brown.
Transfer the browned butter to a heat proof bowl with a silicone spatula and stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process 2 more times until thick, smooth and shiny.
Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, sir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
Roll the dough into balls about 3 tablespoons each. Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet, not more than 8 per batch.
Cook for 10-14 minutes. Cookies will be golden-brown and puffy with set edges and soft middles.
My proportions were a little larger than the recipe called for producing 13 cookies that were 3 1/2 inches across.
The full recipe and shopping list for ingredients are available by clicking on the hyperlinks at the top of the post.
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I ever tasted!
The Grove Street Photographer 