Try this Award-Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe.
- Carbohydrate 238.26473569304 g
- Cholesterol 188.375 mg
- Fat 70.6020269444445 g
- Fiber 0.00588888888888889 g
- Protein 4.37429416683486 g
- Saturated Fat 44.2787381944445 g
- Serving Size 1 1 dozen cookie (437g)
- Sodium 587.025777817023 mg
- Sugar 238.258846804151 g
- Trans Fat 5.33198219444445 g
- Calories 1564 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat shortening and sugars until combined and creamy. Add eggs and extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chips.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop dough onto baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes.
Overmixing the dough remains the single most common error bakers commit when preparing drop cookies. Gluten development accelerates rapidly once flour meets liquid and mechanical agitation begins, turning a tender crumb into a tough, bread-like structure. Keeping the mixing time to an absolute minimum after the flour enters the bowl preserves the soft bite desired in the final product.
Fat selection dictates structural spread and moisture retention in the oven. Utilizing shortening instead of entirely melting butter introduces higher melting points, which prevents the dough from flattening too quickly before the edges set. Granulated sugar promotes crispness through caramelization, while brown sugar supplies hygroscopic molasses that actively draws moisture into the crumb to maintain chewiness over multiple days of storage.
Leavening agents require precise environmental conditions to function properly. Baking soda relies on the slight acidity present in brown sugar to generate carbon dioxide gas, expanding the air pockets created during the initial creaming phase. Incorporating eggs at room temperature ensures a stable emulsion with the fat, trapping sufficient air to yield an even, uniform rise without chemical off-flavors.
Visual cues dictate doneness far more accurately than arbitrary clock times. Pulling the baking sheets from the 350-degree oven the moment the outer edges turn golden while the centers still look slightly glossy and underbaked guarantees a soft texture after cooling. Residual heat from the pan continues the baking process for roughly two minutes after removal, preventing dryness.
