The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy July everyone! Summer seems to be flying by-- It's already been six whole days since I last posted a recipe. My two month break from work is quickly coming to an end, and soon I will be spending 30 hours per week at the pool, leaving little time for baking. For that reason, I am making it my goal to blog every single day this week, starting today with The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I don't think I've ever met a person who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies, so I feel as though a recipe for them is essential to my blog. I've tried many variations of this customary treat, yet up until now, I have never found one beyond compare. Whether the cookies called for an ungodly amount of butter, required a drawn-out chilling time, or baked to be dry and crumbly, I was never overly impressed by a recipe- until I found this one. These chocolate chip cookies have a simplified ingredients list, require little-to-no chilling, and stay soft even days after being made. This recipe makes enough dough for a worth-while number of cookies, and (if you have the willpower) can stay fresh for over a week- just store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I promise that "The Best" Chocolate Cookies will live up to their name.

If you're looking for a festive dessert for the Fourth of July, feel free to substitute the chocolate chips with red, white, and blue mini M&Ms, or add blue food coloring, white chocolate chips, and craisins to the dough. Whoever you celebrate with will be very impressed with your baking, I promise
. With that said, I hope everyone has a fun-filled holiday, stays safe amidst the celebratory fireworks and countless intoxicated patriots, and enjoys some of The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in America!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 6 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (or line with wax paper).
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed for about two minutes (or until smooth).
3. Add in egg and vanilla and continue to mix at low speed until incorporated.
4. Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined, being sure not to overmix.
5. Add chocolate chips and stir in with a wooden spoon, again being careful not to overmix.
6. Chill dough if it is warm. Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop cool dough, then drop dough onto prepared pans. Depending on size, number of cookies will vary. You may use your fingers to shape dough to be more spherical.
7. Bake cookies until bottoms and edges are golden brown and top feels firm when lightly touched. For small cookies, bake 8-10 minutes; for large cookies, bake 10-13 minutes.
8. Allow to firm up for 5 minutes on pan before transferring to wire cooling rack. Enjoy!