Choco-chip Cookies

A perfect chocolate chip cookie has to be soft and chewy, yet still have a crispy edges with chocolatey gooey bits in the cookies. It's a classic!
This is a simple recipe which has been tweaked multiple times with various inputs from various sources to give the ULTIMATE: BEST EVER chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe makes 10 cookies:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 80g dark chocolate bar (I prefer 55% cocoa)
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 8 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 small egg (whole)
• 1 egg yolk

• Ice Cream scoop

The first trick in the bag to elevate the flavour and taste of the cookies is to brown the butter.

To brown the butter heat 2/3rd of the butter over a medium flame while occasionally stirring it till it starts foaming and turns brown. Let this slightly cool down and then add the remaining 1/3rd remaining butter in small pieces while gently stirring and then transfer to another bowl.

Browning the butter removes moisture from it so that it doesn't cause gluten activation in the dough, thus resulting in crisp cookies. Adding the remaining normal butter to the brown butter re-introduces a little bit of moisture into it, so that there is still a little gluten activation. This gives a slight chewiness to the cookies while retaining crispiness.

While the butter cools completely, in a different bowl mix the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and whisk until nicely mixed (about a minute).

Now, When it comes to the chocolate component, store-bought chocolate chips just won't do. They'll make the average choco-chip cookies. We're trying to make the ULTIMATE: BEST EVER chocolate-chip cookies.
So, take your chocolate bar of about 55% cocoa, and roughly chop it into 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm chunks using a knife. This will add small globs of melted and gooey chocolate in the cookies!

By now the butter would have completely come down to room temperature.
To the butter now add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and whisk thoroughly to break any lumps. At this stage the dough will still be granular.

Now add the whole egg, the egg yolk and the vanilla essence and keep whisking till the whole mixture becomes smooth and shiny. After adding the eggs, the cookie dough consistency will turn from granular to smooth and shiny.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and keep folding and incorporating with a spatula until it's nice and mixed. Keep working on the mixture for a minute or so with your hands and a spatula. No fancy equipment needed.
Now add the chocolate and incorporate it by mixing it for another 30 seconds.

At this stage your dough should smell of chocolatey and caramel-y heaven!

This is probably the most painful step in the procedure, but most important.
You have to let the cookie dough rest for about an hour on the counter-top to firm it up.
In hotter climates, you can even put the dough in the fridge. Even overnight in the fridge will do.

Resting the dough allows the flour in the dough to hydrate, thus preventing excessive spread of the cookies while baking.

If you're refrigerating your dough, be sure to cover it up to prevent it from completely drying out.

While the cookie dough is resting and hydrating, preheat your oven.

Using an ice-cream scoop/ cookie-scoop, scoop out 2-3 tbsp sized portions onto a (optional: parchment lined) baking sheet/ tray/ pan with adequate space between each cookie as they do spread a little.

The dough should be like firm dough-balls, it should stand up firmly on the baking tray. If it starts melting, put the dough back in the fridge till it firms up.

Bake at 190°Celsius (or 375° Fahrenheit) on the rack second from the bottom of the oven for 10-12 minutes.

DO NOT rotate the tray or open up the oven to check on the cookies, that will release all the heat.

After removing your cookies from the oven, wait for 10 minutes for them to cool down on the baking sheet (it's important) and enjoy!
Warm chocolate chip cookies taste absolutely heavenly!