Search “chocolate chip cookie recipes” on Google and you’ll come up with over a million hits. No wonder we’re plagued with anxiety (or maybe it’s just me). There are way too many choices in this world! Super-sized, mini, chewy, crispy, cakey, over-chipped, under-chipped, and some even prefer salty! I think we all have our go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and probably for many it’s the oldie, but goodie Nestle Toll House Classic recipe. Do you know the back story behind these cookies? Emma Wakefield ran the Toll House Inn with her husband back in 1934. She was responsible for all of the baking and her customers kept coming back for more. When she ran out of a chocolate baker’s bar, she substituted a semi-sweet chocolate bar (which happened to be given to her by Andrew Nestle). She soon discovered that when she chopped the bar into little pieces, the pieces softened as they baked, but kept their shape. Well, the two struck a deal; in exchange for  her Toll House original recipe, Mr. Nestle agreed to give her a lifetime supply of chocolate chips. She may have been a good baker, but a great business woman…that’s questionable. Lifetime supply of chocolate…Great! Large sum of money…Even better!

Jaques Torres Version

While prepping for the Relay for Life bake sale, I decided I needed something different than the standard chocolate chip recipe and had only two requirements - they had to fit into the cute little boxes I bought, but more important they had to be good. My original plan was to make Jaques Torres’ chocolate chip cookie recipe, which was highly recommended by my sis. The secret is letting the dough chill for several days before making. The salt you sprinkle on top apparently seals the deal. Unfortunately, I got myself into a time crunch and wasn’t able to taste test these. I started looking to the bakers I trust the most – fellow food bloggers! When I came across Smitten Kitchen’s recipe (who by the way, has an amazing blog!), I knew the search was over. These cookies were awesome, and with no dispect  to Mrs. Wakefield, better than the Toll House recipe. They fit perfectly in the boxes and when they were all wrapped up with a cute ribbon, they were pretty darn irresistable. The proof was in the profit – these moved fast and were the first to sell out at the bake sale. This version will definitely have a repeat performance in my kitchen.

Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Smitten Kitchen’s Yummy Version!)
2 cups all-purpose flour

Smitten Kitchen

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

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

2. 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.

3. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

5. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) 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.