I know there are already a gazillion chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, and you’re probably not looking for yet another one, but I will give you one anyway ;) it’s yummy & gooey just how I like my chocolate chip cookies and I promise you they’re not like any other chocolate chip cookies. They have a twist ;) So let’s just say they’re my classic chocolate chip cookies, but not the classic chocolate chip cookies. They’re the ones I turn to when I need to satisfy a cookie craving or need to make something I know will wow people but not in overly ostentatious way, like saying look, here, I made you this three tiered chiffon layer cake with caramelized white chocolate ganache, swiss meringue buttercream AND extra cookie decorations. No these aren’t that type of desert. They’re cookies. Simple as that.
I can’t take all the credit for the recipe, sadly. I bless the gods of Trader Joe’s for providing us with possibly the best chocolate chips ever. The bittersweet chocolate chips. Man oh man, are those full of nostalgia. They basically defined my childhood. Remember when I said that I eat chocolate everyday?? Well, for a large part of my life, these chips were the ones.
But anyway back to the recipe. On the back of the chocolate chips was a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Simple. Classic. Delicious. It had all the traditional components you find in a chocolate chip cookie recipe : butter, flour, brown & white sugar, eggs, vanilla, leaveners, and of course, chocolate. Beat the butter and sugars ; add the eggs ; then the flour, and finally the chocolate. Bam. Done. Simple. And actually they were pretty damn good. For a while, I stuck with this recipe whenever I made food for my class or needed something for a bake sale. BUT one day, I was missing the necessary amount of butter, but determined as I was to make those cookies, I scoured by pantry and fridge in search of a substitute. And lo and behold, I found it in a jar of … GHEE! Yes, ghee! The golden butter-y liquid seemed perfect to complement the butter, and it was indeed. The cookies were BANGING. The rest of the recipe pretty much follows the Trader Joe’s one, except I don’t use eggs, the reason being that since I don’t have to worry about eating raw eggs, I only have to cook the cookies for like 5 min. Tops. (Trust me on this, they don’t need more). Because if there is one thing I hate, it is overbaking any sweets, so much so that I almost always reduce the cooking time for baked goods. I know, I’m weird. But when you end up with a warm, gooey, and melt-in-your-mouth cookie, you will thank me.
I hope you like these as much as I do :))
recipe adapted from the Trader Joe’s bittersweet chocolate chips pack.
makes around 2 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar (the original recipe says firmly packed, but I typically use just under a cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup ghee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp + more of water or milk
bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (I don’t measure these, I use however much I feel like)
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, silicone mat, or oil with a vegetable spray.
In medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, ghee, and both sugars. You can either do this by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula, or in a stand mixer. Make sure the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Add in vanilla and milk or water, and mix.
Add in the dry ingredients and fold until almost combined. At this point, if you feel like the mixture is too dry, you can add more water or milk. I usually don’t need to. Just keep mixing until it resembles a cookie dough : when you squeeze the mixture in between your hands, it should stick together and not crumble.
Finally, fold in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
Using a an small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure, portion out the cookies onto the baking sheet. Since you will not be baking them for long, press each cookie down a little to flatten them. (Don’t make them too thin though). Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.
Bake for 5 min. Don’t worry it will not look fully cooked, but the cookies continue to bake as they cool on the pan, and they will harden a little.
Enjoy warm with a glass of milk, a mug of tea, or plain jane :)
These cookies keep well in a container for a few days. You could eat them at room temperature - they should still be soft - but I recommend heating them gently in the microwave or oven.
PS: I will update this post later with a picture for you! :)