RECIPE: BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

We all have our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that is our go-to. Jenni's is soft and chewy with a brown sugar flavor, while mine is salty, chewy, and crisp on the edges. I have this dough in my fridge most of the time, just ready to scoop out what we want at the moment. So good for those late night cravings or for your kids after school treat! 

I've made these with lots of variations as far as add-ins. These are perfect with just bittersweet chocolate chips, but I also love to add dried cherries... trust me on this one. These cookies I made today have chocolate chips and crushed up Heath bar pieces! So. Freaking. Good.

Although this has the most amazing flavor, you really need to let the dough refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Sorry. But it makes a huge difference. We've found that three days has the best flavor.

Recipe and super helpful tips below!

RECIPE:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

*Need to refrigerate at least 24 hours 

- 2 c. minus 2 tbsp cake flour

- 1 2/3 c. bread flour

- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

- 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp

- 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar

- 1 c. plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

- 2 eggs, room temp

- 2 tsp vanilla

- 1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

- additional mix-ins if you want! The cookies pictured have crushed Heath bar pieces and chocolate chips.

INSTRUCTIONS

- cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes

- combine all dry ingredients besides mix-ins while you wait

- add in eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar, mix well in between

- add vanilla

- slowly add flour mixture

- when there's only a little bit of flour left, add in the toppings and mix until JUST combined. Do not overmix at this point

- press saran wrap on the dough in the bowl and refrigerate at least 24 hours for best flavor (more in tips)

- when ready to bake, set oven to 350. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop out dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet

- bake 18 minutes or until edges are golden and the center looks light

- sprinkle immediately with a little kosher salt or fleur de sel

- let cool and devour

TIPS:

* Though the dough tastes amazing right away, you need to refrigerate for at least 24 hours for the best flavor when you bake. Three days is best! 

* Only scoop out what you want to eat! We keep the bowl of dough in the fridge with saran wrap pressed down on top of the dough. Just scoop out and bake what you want to eat at the moment. 

* If you bake and don't eat, freeze immediately to keep fresh. These are amazing fresh out of the oven, but get stale very quickly. 

* Bittersweet chocolate chips are best with this in my opinion. The cookie is already sweet- it doesn't need sugary sweet chocolate in there too. I love 60% Ghirardelli. 

* A good cookie starts with good ingredients. Use GOOD vanilla, good butter, etc.

* A sprinkling of fleur de sel on top after the cookies finished baking really brings out the chocolate flavor.

Enjoy!

-L

THE BEST SPICED COOKIE RECIPE

If you saw my last post on hand lettered recipes, you'll know how much I'm obsessed with Alyssa Makes Something's work! This order was super special. My husband and I had a friend, Jeani Cooney, who passed away this year. She was the mother bear of his whole office and was beloved by every single person who knew her. At company softball games she would bring her famous "sports cookies" and they are SO GOOD. And I am a major cookie snob. Oats, chocolate chips, and spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are a surprising and delicious combination. The cookies are dense and chewy will make your whole house smell like Christmas. 

We purchased the digital option of the hand-lettered recipe and had it printed as a keepsake for the entire office to enjoy for the holidays. I made the cookies this holiday season with my five-year-old and told him all about Jeani and about how we will always thing of her when we make these sweet cookies. So happy to pass on our memories of her through this recipe.

Download printable recipe hand lettered by Alyssa Makes Something right HERE.

* TIPS: All I had at the time was margarine and not Crisco, but it worked just as well. I use a little less nutmeg than Jeani calls for, and I also sprinkle the top of the baked cookies with a little fleur de sel or kosher salt right after taking them out of the oven. Like any cookie dough, it's way better the next day and even better on the second or third day. We make the dough and just scoop out what we want to eat that day. Leave the rest in the fridge with saran wrap pressed against the dough.

Hope you can make these cookies and share them with the ones you love!

xo

-L

RECIPE: THE BEST EVER OATMEAL COOKIE

I am a cookie snob. And I'm telling you... these are the BEST oatmeal cookies ever. I guess that's bragging, but I've gotta share the love with you! I've tried to copy them from my fav bakery, Wild Plum, in Pacific Grove, CA where my husband and I lived before moving to Nashville. I can't quite get the consistency the same, but the flavors are all there. In fact, every year we visit and if they don't have them out... I beg them to make a batch before I leave town. #fatkidalert

You can use any mix-ins you like with these oatmeal cookies! This is just a great base. I used bittersweet chocolate chips, dried apricots, and dried tart cherries. We just got back from Michigan where I get my favorite American Spoon dried cherries. They're SO. GOOD. I put them in cereal, hot oatmeal, spinach salad, kale salad, and now cookies. I'm very passionate about food, can ya tell? So I obviously needed to use these bad boys for the best oatmeal cookies ever.

Please make sure to note that you need to let the dough refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I know...torture. You can eat the dough in the meantime. The longer you leave the dough, the better the flavors will combine. 12 hours is great, 24 hours is better. If you bake after 1 or 2 hours they'll taste great but the dough will spread out pretty thin. I'll stop blabbing... scroll down for recipe!

RECIPE:

The Best Ever Oatmeal Cookie

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg, room temp

1 tsp good vanilla

1 1/2 cups + 1/8 cup bread flour

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

fleur de sel / kosher salt

Optional mix-ins:

dried apricots, chopped

dried tart cherries

bittersweet chocolate chips

raisins

m&m's

(I use 1 cup apricots, 1/4 cherries, 1/4 chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients and mix-ins in a separate bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugars for 5 minutes.

3. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla.

4. Add dry ingredients until just mixed.

5. Press plastic wrap down directly on the dough then cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours 

(12-24 hrs is best for flavor and texture!)

6. Scoop 2" balls and pack firmly together*

7. Bake 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until edges are browned and the tops are starting to brown.

8. Sprinkle tops with fleur de sel or kosher salt and let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes.

Eaaaaaaat!

*Bake only what you want to eat at that time for the freshest experience! Dough keeps really well in the fridge for a week.

-L