The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Who can resist the allure of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? The combination of gooey chocolate and a crispy edge makes for a perfect treat. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe is easy to follow and guarantees delicious results every time. Let's dive into the details!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 190°C (fan 170°C, gas mark 5). Line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine 150g of softened salted butter, 80g of light brown muscovado sugar, and 80g of granulated sugar. Beat the mixture until it's creamy and well combined. This step is crucial as it helps to incorporate air into the dough, making your cookies light and fluffy.
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Beat in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 large egg. The vanilla adds a lovely depth of flavor, while the egg helps to bind the ingredients together.
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Sift 225g of plain flour, ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Sifting helps to avoid lumps and ensures an even distribution of the leavening agent.
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Add 200g of plain chocolate chips or chunks to the dough and stir well to distribute them evenly. The more chocolate, the merrier!
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Using a teaspoon, make small scoops of the mixture and place them well apart on the prepared baking trays. This mixture should yield about 30 cookies. Spacing them apart ensures they have room to spread as they bake.
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Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until they are light brown on the edges and still slightly soft in the center. The key to the perfect cookie is not overbaking them – they should be chewy and soft inside.
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Once baked, leave the cookies on the tray for a couple of minutes to set, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Allowing them to cool properly will give them the perfect texture.
Note
Fun Facts and Figures:
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Cookie Origins: Did you know that chocolate chip cookies were invented by accident? In 1938, Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, added broken pieces of chocolate bar to her cookie dough, expecting them to melt. Instead, they held their shape, and the chocolate chip cookie was born!
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Chocolate Chips: The first chocolate chips were created specifically for the Toll House cookie recipe and were semi-sweet chocolate. Today, you can find a variety of chocolate chips, including milk, dark, white, and even flavored varieties like mint or peanut butter.
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Cookie Science: The bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in this recipe is a leavening agent that reacts with the acid in the brown sugar to create carbon dioxide gas. This reaction helps the cookies to rise and become tender and chewy.
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Butter Choice: Using salted butter adds a bit of extra flavor and helps balance the sweetness of the sugars and chocolate. If you prefer unsalted butter, just add a pinch more salt to the recipe.
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Perfect Texture: The combination of brown muscovado sugar and granulated sugar gives these cookies their perfect texture – crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Muscovado sugar retains more moisture than regular brown sugar, contributing to the chewiness.
There you have it – the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe, complete with a bit of history and some baking science. Happy baking!
