Mile High Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mile High Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are the quintescential cookie, aren't they?  I've been making my hub-bubs and kiddos different cookies and after each, I ask which is their favorite: the chocolate chip cookie.  I've tweaked this recipe about three times now and I think I've finally nailed it down.

When I know I'm going to bake cookies, I always take two sticks of butter out in the morning so they have time to come to room temperature.  My friend told me that microwaving butter for recipes changes the molecular structure of the butter.  As soon as she said it, I knew she was quoting Alton Brown.  He is so scientific and as far as I'm concerned, a Genius Chef.   If you haven't tried his low-temp, slow, oven-roasted ribs, you are truly missing out on some fall off the bone, delicious ribs.  But I digress.  This recipe is inspired by an Alton Brown Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  I tip my figurative hat to you, Mr. Brown.

Take your butter out in the morning.  Don't use margarine.  Use butter.  Most recipes call for unsalted butter but then ask you to add a teaspoon of salt.  I'm sorry, but unsalted butter is just too creamy and I can't use it in my other dishes.  So I prefer salted butter and I add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  Balances out nicely.   And, if you decide you don't want to make it, butter can remain at room temperature for... ever.   I've done this recipe with two sticks of butter and this way, which removes two tablespoons.  Either way, the cookie is bomb but leaving those 2T in yields a flatter cookie. My eldest son told me, "I love cookies that are flat." I took that to mean he likes a buttery cookie.  

In an odd contradiction, especially for someone like me who tends to have some kooky OCD tendencies, I add two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to ALL of my cookie recipes.  It started with my Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.  Not a cookie, I know.  Try it, you won't be disappointed!

With high altitude, you are supposed to increase your liquids, but heavy whipping cream is basically liquid unsalted butter.  So taking out 2T of butter but adding 2T of heavy whipping cream seems just stupid.  However, the result is a crunchy on the outside cookie with a chewy insides.  It may all be in my imagination but in the end, my family loves these cookies so I'm done tweaking it.

I got these milk chocolate chips from King Soopers (or Kroger to some of you... or even City Market to some others).  I prefer a milk chocolate because I can use it to coat strawberries or PB Cookies (recipe coming).  The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of chips.  I was left with a 1/4 cup of chips so I just dumped it all in.  Who doesn't love the chocolate chip in a chocolate chip cookie???

So, I hope you'll try it.  You may even tweak it and write your own blog about your own Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  Or you might just like mine enough to put it in your repertoire of baking.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (High Altitude)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups AP flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt                  
• 1 stick + 6T salted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2T heavy whipping cream
• milk chocolate chips (11.5 oz bag) or 1-3/4 to 2 cups

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix to combine. Set aside.
3. In a larger bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until creamy.
4. Add eggs and whipping cream.  Beat to combine.
5. Sift in dry ingredients about a 1/2 cup at a time, beating until all the dry ingredients have been combined.
6. Using a baking spatula, fold in chocolate chips.
7. Roll into about a 1 - 1-1/2 inch ball.  I found that this maintains the shape of the cookie.  If you prefer, you can just spoon it out, but you may get a flatter cookie.  I roll out all of my balls onto a sheet of wax paper.  If your dough is too soft, refrigerate for at least a 1/2 hour.
8. Bake 9-12 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.   

Hope you enjoy!!!

xo ~

Rolly <3