THE Best Chocolate Chip Cookie?

Everyone wants to find "the best" chocolate chip cookie recipe, including me! I am slowly working my way through several recipes (it's hard work, I know!) but so far I have found two favorites.

The first one is the "Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie." I actually stumbled across this recipe on Allrecipes.com long before I ever started frequenting the What's Cooking? Board, where it is also known as the BBFCCC :) This cookie is amazing straight out of the oven... it is crisp around the edges and chewy in the center... but the next day they are a little more crunchy and aren't as chewy as I would like (not sure if it is something I am doing, or if it is the recipe - maybe it's because I make them smaller?). They're still awesome, regardless, but I am still in search of that recipe that will still be mostly chewy the next day.

Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

I also wanted to mention that I have seen several others rave about the America's Test Kitchen chocolate chip cookie recipe. However, when I compared the two recipes side by side, there isn't much of a difference. The only difference is 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (this one calls for 2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon of vanilla whereas the ATK recipe calls for 2-1/8 cups flour and 2 teaspoons vanilla).

My other favorite is the best soft chocolate chip cookie. For a little more background about the origin of the recipe, visit Joelen's Culinary Adventures. The secret ingredient in this recipe is the pudding mix which gives the cookie a softer texture than that of a traditional chocolate chip cookie. I actually prefer this softer cookie over the chewy cookie.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie

With both recipes, I cut back on the amount of chocolate chips, from 2 cups to 1-1/2 cups. In my opinion, there were plenty of chocolate chips in every bite. The next thing I want to do is compare the BBFCCC to Alton Brown's chewy chocolate chip cookie and the soft chocolate chip cookie recipe to Alton's puffy chocolate chip cookie recipe! So stay tuned for updates...

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie
from Allrecipes.com


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I only used 1-1/2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.


In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Joelen's Culinary Adventures, original recipe by Ruth Wakefield


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I only used 1-1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.


In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.