Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who isn't a fan of Toll House cookies fresh baked, just out of the oven?  I've tried lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes and have claimed one as my favorite.  But when I had these, first baked for my by one of my daughters, I knew I wouldn't not need to test another chocolate chip cookie recipe again.

Though I have did not strive to find a copycat recipe for Toll House cookies, this is the closest I've come, even closer than the recipe on the back of Toll House chocolate chips to achieving the taste and texture of the cookies from the big yellow tub.

I am certain the key is the browned butter. It gives the dough an extra bit of flavor and lots of moistness.   Another bonus is a slight crispy outer texture akin to the glossy topping of a chewy chocolate brownie.

I'm all about chewy cookies.  I like cookie dough, I like cookies hot out of the oven gooey, I like them to stay chewy.  My husband, and I am certain he's not the only one, is a fan of crunchy cookies.  The beauty of this recipe is you can get both from the same batch of cookies.  If you bake these for 8 minutes, you'll get a chewier cookies.  If you bake them for 10 {or as my husband prefers, 12} you get a crunchy cookie once they have cooled some.

To keep that chewy cookie texture, store any leftover {and you may not have any} in a cookie jar or other container with a lid.  There are a few other tips you may find helpful below.

Tips~

*The original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of flour.  I cut out some of the flour and I don't mix all of the dry ingredients into the batter.  Add a bit less than 2 cups of flour mix and see what the dough is like.  To keep cookies chewy, you want a batter that spreads just a bit but still keeps a good shape when balled.
*Use a tablespoon that is heaping with dough to measure out cookie dough.  This gives you a good size, not too big but not bite size, cookie.
*Line cookie sheets with foil and do not use any spray or grease.   Cookies will slide off easy when done.
*Let cookies cool on cookies sheets for 1~2 minutes before removing from pan.  If you forget, they still come off easily but don't remove before as they may get smooshed.
*Warm cookies in the microwave for 30 seconds to get that fresh out of the oven taste!  If you don't like to use the microwave or don't have one, steam them.  Place a layer of foil in steamer basket and add cookies; steam for 30 seconds.

Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

original recipe from babble.com
1 c unsalted butter {2 sticks}
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 lg eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c semi~sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line cookie sheets with foil.

In small saucepan over medium~low heat, melt butter.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently until butter bubbles and foams.  Stir constantly, continuing to cook until foam dissipates and butter begins to turn golden.  Turn off heat and let butter sit and cool to lukewarm.  Butter solids will brown and settle in pan.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.  In large bowl combine brown and white sugars with whisk, breaking up any lumps.  Add lukewarm butter and vanilla; whisk to combine.  Add eggs and whisk to combine.  Add about 2/3 of flour mixture to the sugar/butter combination.  Stir til smooth.  If dough is thick enough, do not add any more flour.  If it spreads out a bit and doesn't hold its shape, add a bit more flour mixture to moist but firm consistency.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough onto foil lined cookie sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls, leaving a few inches in between cookies.  Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.  Eight minutes yields a chewier cookie.