Recipe: My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

The first time I made the chocolate cookie recipe in Thomas Keller's cookbook Ad Hoc at Home, I followed it exactly. It was good, and surprisingly easy. But not easy enough. I've since adapted the recipe to make it even easier (no chopping chocolate), but my favorite tip is to mix up multiple batches of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) and store then in sandwich-size baggies in my cabinet. With that done, I can be eating a warm chocolate chip cookie approximately 45 minutes from start to finish!

Chief Family Officer's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home



1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups responsibly-sourced chocolate chips
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (or 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup sucanat)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a whisk or fork until well-mixed. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat one stick of butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the other stick of butter and both sugars. Beat on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Mix until the vanilla is incorporated.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate chips and mix just until the chips are distributed.

5. Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 12 balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until tops are no longer shiny.

Note: I like to refrigerate the dough until thoroughly chilled, then form the dough into balls. I put the dough balls on a lined baking sheet and freeze until hard, then transfer the balls to a zip-top freezer bag. Although Ad Hoc says to thaw the dough in the fridge before baking, I bake the frozen dough 360 degrees (my oven knob is between 350 and 375 degrees). The cookies are beautifully puffy, and crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Baked cookies freeze well too!