Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?  We're big fans and I have a family favorite recipe, but I recently stumbled upon a really interesting technique for making really big, really soft, really chewy CCCs that piqued my curiosity so I thought I'd share them with you. 

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Mmmm. Look how big these cookies are. Let’s make some, shall we?

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The dough is super easy to mix by hand.

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I usually use a #50 scoop for cookies, but these cookies are much larger - they use a #20 scoop.

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Sally suggests chilling the dough well before using a scoop to portion the dough, but I scooped it first, then chilled.  Either way, chilling the dough anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days is very important (be sure to cover it well with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out in the fridge).

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When it's time to bake the cookies, use the heat of your hands to roll the cookie dough into smooth balls.

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Then shape each of the dough balls into a barrel shape - they should be a bit taller than they are wide. Place 3 chocolate chips on top of each (not necessary, but doing so will look nice then the cookies are done). Place on prepared sheet pans; bake and cool as directed.

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Yum!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 12 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 cup (135 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 egg yolk, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup (180 grams) chocolate chips or candy coated chocolate pieces (or a combination thereof)

• 48 chocolate chips for decoration (optional)

Directions 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.

3. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the reserved flour mixture and mix with a spoon or spatula until well combined.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips and/or candy coated chocolate pieces.

6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days (Sally says this step is mandatory).

7. When it's time to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325F and prepare 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

8. Allow the cookie dough to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

9. Use a #20 scoop to measure out each cookie (the cookies are big - about 3 tablespoons each).

10. Use the warmth of your hands to roll each dough portion smooth and shape into a ball, and then into a barrel (so the dough is a little taller than it is wide - that way they'll puddle into perfect mounds while baking).

11. Place 8 portions of dough on each sheet pan and top each with 3 chocolate chips as shown. If dough gets too soft, chill for several minutes before baking

12. Bake cookies, one sheet pan at a time, in the center of the oven for 11-12 minutes.

13. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on hot sheet pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling (don't be alarmed if the cookies look underbaked when they're removed from the oven).

adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Don't you just love zucchini bread?   We certainly do.  Since it's prime zucchini season here in VA (and because I was given a gargantuan zucchini on steroids), I thought I'd share a week's worth of zucchini bread recipes in hopes of inspiring you to bake some zucchini bread for your friends and family. 

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Feeling inspired yet?

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• professional loaf pan https://amzn.to/3o5wjzw

• the best vanilla extract https://amzn.to/2OOUaAj

• valrhona cocoa powder https://amzn.to/2OdrsIa

• guittard chocolate chips https://amzn.to/3rURKUT

• parchment paper https://amzn.to/3o6B7Vf

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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

makes one 8x4-inch loaf

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa, sifted

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 2 cups shredded zucchini

• 1 cup chocolate chips (plus 1/4 cup for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan with a parchment sling (important so you don't get melted chocolate all over your hands and mar the appearance of the finished loaf when you remove it from the pan).

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, sugar, honey, oil, zucchini, and 1 cup of chocolate chips, stirring until evenly combined.

5. Stir in reserved dry ingredients and pour into prepared loaf pan.

6. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips evenly over batter.

7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool for 10-15 minutes before lifting bread out of loaf pan using the parchment sling.

9. Cool completely before serving.

10. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature.