Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best I have ever made. And I have made a lot. I even threw out the other "best chocolate chip cookie" recipes I have. They are just that good.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe by Alton Brown

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 C chocolate chips (I've used milk and semi-sweet and both are delicious)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter. Sift together the four, salt, and baking soda. In a different bowl add both sugars and pour in melted butter. Cream together. Add egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough*. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies per sheet - they will expand.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate sheet for even browning. I checked my cookies at 11 minutes and they were perfect! Cool on wire racks. (It really does make a difference.

*Helpful hint: Whenever I make cookies I always form the dough into a log, wrap in parchment or tinfoil and chill. This way you can slice the dough for even sized cookies and can store the dough for a few days. I've even been known to freeze extra dough for a yummy dessert for last minute company! :)

You never need a reason to make chocolate chips cookies - especially when they are the best ever! :)

Valentine Fortune Cookies

Recipe:

1/2 C flour- If you have bread flour, use it.

1/2 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg whites

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine. Place in a container and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Spoon 1 teaspoon batter onto a greased baking sheet; spread evenly to make about a 3" circle. (You can also use parchment paper and draw your circles so you know how big to make them.) Bake at 400° for 5-6 minutes or until the cookies are brown just around the edges and a little toward the centers. Remove from the oven. Let sit for a few seconds before removing from pan. Working quickly, loosen edges of cookies with a spatula, and turn over.



Place fortune along the center of 1 cookie. Fold cookie over so the edges meet; press edges together.



Gently pull the ends of the cookie down over the rim of a small bowl (or jar); hold for a few seconds or until set. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.





I found these were hot to work with so if you have latex gloves to wear while folding over the cookie and placing it on a bowl, I would recommend it.

Once cookies are cooled (a minute or so), you can dip them in chocolate and decorate with sprinkles!

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips for contrast-



with pink and red sprinkles for Valentine's Day-



I found it was easiest to spoon the chocolate over the cookie and then sprinkle the sprinkles on top (as opposed to dipping them in the sprinkles - too messy).





Packaging these yummy cookies might have been my favorite part. There were so many cute "take-out" boxes at Michael's to choose from.





I found the recipe for these over at Our Best Bites. Check them out for other great food ideas.

Enjoy!