Let Me Tell You How Chocolate Chip Cookies Saved a Rainy Afternoon
You know, there’s nothing like that moment when you pull a tray of Chocolate Chip cookies out of a slightly wonky oven and the whole house smells like you’ve got your life together (or like you’re hiding from having to fold laundry). My earliest memory of baking these beauties? Definitely from the time I was about seven, elbow-deep in flour while my mum tried to stop the dog from eating stick of butter off the countertop. We burnt half the batch, but honestly, they kinda tasted better that way—extra crunch, you know? Anyway, this is my recipe. Or at least, the one I’ve landed on after about sixty-seven slightly chaotic tries.
Why You’ll Love This, I Promise
I make these when I’ve got friends popping round (they vanish in about five minutes, no exaggeration) or when I just want something proper cosy to nibble with my coffee. My family goes a bit bonkers for these—my brother insists on dunking them in milk, and Mum likes hers a day old (I think she’s wrong, but we’ll agree to disagree). Sometimes, if I’ve had a particularly lousy week, I throw in extra chocolate just because I can. And trust me, these even turned my grumpy neighbour into a fan, though she swears she prefers oatmeal raisin—yeah, right.
Stuff You’ll Need (and What You Can Get Away With)
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I’ve subbed in bread flour when I ran out once; made them chewy!)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (some folks use baking powder—I tried, it was fine but a bit puffy)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (sea salt flakes at the end are lovely, too, but not essential)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, just softened (I never remember to pull it out, so the microwave gets involved—just don’t melt it entirely)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (dark or light, doesn’t matter much. My gran swore by dark, but she was stubborn about everything)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (I’ve been lazy and just used all brown sugar before; no one noticed, shhh)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the fake stuff works in a pinch, no shame)
- 2 cups chocolate chips (I use a hodgepodge: semi-sweet, milk, sometimes even a bar bashed up with a rolling pin. Use whatever’s knockin’ about your cupboard)
- Optional: 1 cup chopped toasted nuts, if you’re into that (I go for walnuts, but pecans are nice, too)
So, How Do You Actually Make ‘Em?
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (that’s 350°F for everyone outside the UK). Line a couple of trays with parchment (baking) paper. If you forget the paper, they’ll stick a bit, but nothing a spatula can’t fix.
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Some days I just eyeball the salt—living on the edge!
- In a biggish bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until it looks light and fluffy and kinda tempting to stick your finger in. I use a hand mixer, but a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease does the trick, too. This is when I usually steal a spoonful. Oops.
- Crack in your eggs, one at a time, and pour in the vanilla. Don’t rush this bit, or you’ll end up with weirdly streaky dough. (Ask me how I know…)
- Toss in the dry stuff from earlier and mix just till combined. Don’t overdo it or you’ll get tough cookies, which sounds like a metaphor but really just means they’re not as nice.
- Fold in your chocolate chips—and nuts if you want. At this point, the dough should taste incredible. For the record, I’ve never got sick from cookie dough, so that’s that.
- Scoop out blobs—roughly golf-ball sized?—onto your trays. Leave some space. Otherwise, you get one mega-cookie (which, okay, is sometimes what I aim for).
- Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them: they should be lightly golden at the edges but still a bit soft in the middle. If they look a bit underdone, they’re perfect. They’ll firm up as they cool anyway. Don’t panic if yours basically merge into each other; just slice them apart with a butter knife once cooled. No one’s judging.
- Let ’em cool on the tray for a bit, then move to a rack. Or, you know, eat half right away and pretend they never existed.
What I Wish I’d Known (Notes from My Cookie Misadventures)
- If you chill the dough for 20 minutes, the flavours blend more, though sometimes impatience wins in my house.
- Once, I forgot the baking soda. They came out flatter than a pancake, but still tasted alright! Actually, now I sometimes purposely under-measure for chewier cookies.
- Cookie size matters. If you make them too tiny, they’ll dry out like nobody’s business.
Crazy Variations & a Bold Admission
- I once replaced half the chocolate chips with M&Ms. The kids called ’em party cookies. (Grown-ups ate twice as many.)
- White chocolate chips and dried cranberries… surprisingly good.
- Tried coconut flakes once—it ended up a bit weird, if I’m being totally honest. Judge at your own risk.
Do I Really Need That Fancy Equipment?
All you truly need is a bowl, a spoon, and a baking tray. Don’t have an electric mixer? Just roll up your sleeves and go old-school with a whisk or even a fork. Cookie scoop? Use two spoons or your hands if you’re not squeamish. (I’ve done both—probably in the same batch.)
How to Stash Them
Stick the cooled cookies in an airtight tin or box, and they’ll stay good for 3 days, probably longer if you don’t have snack-happy housemates. Though honestly, in my house, they never last more than a day! I’ve heard you can freeze the dough balls and bake straight from frozen—tried it once and it worked a treat.
How Do You Serve Yours?
A glass of cold milk is classic, but I quite like them with hot tea, too. My sister dunks hers in coffee—a bit mad, but, hey, it somehow works. Sometimes we make cookie sandwiches with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle for birthdays. Fun and messy.
If Only I’d Known: Pro Tips
- Don’t rush the butter—if it’s too melty, you get spready cookies. I once nuked it on high and, well, no comment.
- Let them cool a minute on the tray. Tried moving ’em too early, ended up with cookie carnage. Delicious, but fragile. On second thought, maybe just eat the broken ones straight off the tray?
People Actually Ask Me…
- Can I freeze the dough?
Yeah! Just scoop it out onto a tray, freeze, and bag up. Bake from frozen, just add a min or two. - Why are my cookies flat?
Might be the butter was too warm or you over-mixed the dough. Or, you know, your oven’s personality. - What’s the best chocolate?
Honestly? Whatever’s in your cupboard. I’ve even thrown in chopped up Easter eggs post-holiday. - Can I make them vegan?
Probably! I’ve swapped in plant butter and flax eggs, but haven’t quite nailed it yet so don’t quote me on the timeline. - Do I have to chill the dough?
I mean, it helps, but I skip it all the time and no one’s complained (yet!)
Aw cripes, I just remembered I left my tea somewhere. Enjoy your cookies and let me know how it goes—but only if yours look more photogenic than mine!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
-
1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
2In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
-
3In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
-
4Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
-
5Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
-
6Drop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!!
