Several years ago I cleaned out my cookbook collection, getting rid of about 20 of them because my poor shelves were getting to be swayback from all the books I had.
Just lately I've been in buying mode again and have found a few cookbooks that I'm so excited about digging into. One of those is from the popular Back In The Day Bakery based in Savannah.
It's said that there would be a riot in the bakery if these chocolate chip cookies weren't there everyday, so they must be good! They're giant - about four inches in diameter - and filled with chocolate chips (the original used chocolate chunks).
This recipe rivals and is similar to my favorite (from Pillsbury) in that it's chewy in the center with a crunchy outside. There's also a very light sprinkle of sea salt on top before they're baked and that adds a different flavor level to the cookie.
It's a light enough sprinkling not to be salty and complements the sweet. You can leave that off if you want and the cookies will be just as good.
Bret gave a thumbs up to these and he's very picky about chocolate chip cookies. I give them a thumbs up, too, which is hard to do while using my hands to stuff the cookies into my mouth. Don't forget the tall, cold glass of milk on the side.
Chocolate Chip Cookies from the "Back in The Day Cookbook"
Excellent, giant chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ C all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ lb (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 C packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 C semisweet chocolate chips
- Fleur de sel for sprinkling
Instructions
- Move a rack to the bottom third of your oven and preheat to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
- Add the eggs and mix for no more than 1 minute - just to mix in. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time and beat until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until completely and evenly incorporated.
- Use a large ice cream scoop or a ¼-cup measuring cup to form the cookies and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets (about 6 per sheet). Lightly pat down the tops of the cookies and barely sprinkle a bit of sea salt on the tops of all six cookies.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness.
- Remove the cookies when they are lightly brown around the edges - they will still be light in the center. Let the cookies cool in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
The original recipe calls for unbleached flour and unsalted butter, but I used regular bleached flour and salted butter because that's what I had.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 184Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
These are the best chocolate chip cookies around. They come out perfectly every time. We make a batch once a month and sometimes toss in chopped pecans, dark chocolate pieces, too with salted crushed pistachios. This recipe is a consistent favorite.
My family loves these cookies too, Lauren. Salted pistachios sound like a great addition!