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What could be better than an ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie, still warm and soft off of the cookie sheet? Just one cookie can smooth out some of the little bumps in day to day life for both young and old. Plus that yummy smell as they are coming out of the oven – you just can’t beat it! It’s no wonder that they happen to be my older son’s current favorite afternoon snack.
There are many variations on how to make the best chocolate chip cookie, from making a flavorful melted brown butter as the base, to combining a mixture of bread flour and cake flour for the ultimate in texture. Some swear by either resting or refrigerating the dough for the best texture. Or a sprinkle of sea salt on top to counterbalance the sweetness.
You can even make a healthier multigrain chocolate chip by adding in whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats and/or millet. And of course the question as to whether to add nuts or not. I’m usually in the skip the nuts camp, but I can appreciate why some people won’t do without this addition. If I’m adding anything extra, it’ll usually be dried cherries.
Another of my favorite versions is the million dollar cookie, the recipe is based upon the urban legend that Neiman Marcus would charge $250 for the recipe. One of the secrets to these is grinding up some oatmeal in the blender in place of some of the flour. If you like a cookie with more texture than this is the one for you.
One way to conserve the just baked goodness of fresh chocolate chips is to bake just a couple of cookie pans full and then form and freeze the rest (Shape and freeze on baking mats, and once solid they can be stored in freezer containers or bags, and baked as needed). That way you can have two rounds of fresh baked cookies out of one batch of dough!
For everyday, I normally stick with the classic directions straight off the back of the package. My key requirements are to use real unsalted butter, fine kosher or sea salt, and the bittersweet chocolate chips that contain at least 60% cacao (after all, dark chocolate is good for you!), and to always use dark brown sugar for a rich more toffee-like flavor. Bake for exactly 12 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs, for the perfect balance of crisp on the outside and chewy in the center.
Recently I messed a little bit with this simple perfection. My budding baker in training was clamoring to make an after school batch of cookies, but I neglected to check if we had all the ingredients beforehand. I’m such an avid baker these days that we usually have what seems like a year’s worth of supplies of flour, sugar, chocolate, and eggs.
We were halfway through the recipe when I realized that it was the rare occasion we had no vanilla in the house. So this time, I substituted almond extract for vanilla. Now normally I have a hard time keeping two stealthy little tasters from snitching batter as we shape the cookies. But this time the medicinal smell of the almond extract kept the cookie dough lovers at bay. Once baked, I must say it was an interesting twist on a classic.
Although the kids weren’t as big of a fan of the cookie dough as they normally are, they certainly scarfed these almond chocolate chips down once baked. I’m thinking that next time we whip up a batch, it’ll be with this newest almond extract addition and some dried cherries.
So bake a batch of your favorite chocolate chips today. They’ll remind you that life can be simple and sweet. What is your secret to the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie?
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1341-chocolate-chip-cookies/
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie
What could be better than an ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie, still warm and soft off of the cookie sheet? Just one cookie can smooth out some of the little bumps in day to day life for both young and old. Plus that yummy smell as they are coming out of the oven – you just can’t beat it! It’s no wonder that they happen to be my older son’s current favorite afternoon snack.
There are many variations on how to make the best chocolate chip cookie, from making a flavorful melted brown butter as the base, to combining a mixture of bread flour and cake flour for the ultimate in texture. Some swear by either resting or refrigerating the dough for the best texture. Or a sprinkle of sea salt on top to counterbalance the sweetness.
You can even make a healthier multigrain chocolate chip by adding in whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats and/or millet. And of course the question as to whether to add nuts or not. I’m usually in the skip the nuts camp, but I can appreciate why some people won’t do without this addition. If I’m adding anything extra, it’ll usually be dried cherries.
Another of my favorite versions is the million dollar cookie, the recipe is based upon the urban legend that Neiman Marcus would charge $250 for the recipe. One of the secrets to these is grinding up some oatmeal in the blender in place of some of the flour. If you like a cookie with more texture than this is the one for you.
One way to conserve the just baked goodness of fresh chocolate chips is to bake just a couple of cookie pans full and then form and freeze the rest (Shape and freeze on baking mats, and once solid they can be stored in freezer containers or bags, and baked as needed). That way you can have two rounds of fresh baked cookies out of one batch of dough!
For everyday, I normally stick with the classic directions straight off the back of the package. My key requirements are to use real unsalted butter, fine kosher or sea salt, and the bittersweet chocolate chips that contain at least 60% cacao (after all, dark chocolate is good for you!), and to always use dark brown sugar for a rich more toffee-like flavor. Bake for exactly 12 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs, for the perfect balance of crisp on the outside and chewy in the center.
Recently I messed a little bit with this simple perfection. My budding baker in training was clamoring to make an after school batch of cookies, but I neglected to check if we had all the ingredients beforehand. I’m such an avid baker these days that we usually have what seems like a year’s worth of supplies of flour, sugar, chocolate, and eggs.
We were halfway through the recipe when I realized that it was the rare occasion we had no vanilla in the house. So this time, I substituted almond extract for vanilla. Now normally I have a hard time keeping two stealthy little tasters from snitching batter as we shape the cookies. But this time the medicinal smell of the almond extract kept the cookie dough lovers at bay. Once baked, I must say it was an interesting twist on a classic.
Although the kids weren’t as big of a fan of the cookie dough as they normally are, they certainly scarfed these almond chocolate chips down once baked. I’m thinking that next time we whip up a batch, it’ll be with this newest almond extract addition and some dried cherries.
So bake a batch of your favorite chocolate chips today. They’ll remind you that life can be simple and sweet. What is your secret to the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie?
Dark Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies
Made with almond extract, vanilla, flour, baking soda, kosher salt, rolled oats, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs
Made with almond extract, vanilla, flour, baking soda, kosher salt, rolled oats, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs
Serves/Makes: 24
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats, ground in food processor or blender (optional)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cherries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with baking mats or parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and oats in large bowl. Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cherries.
Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls and place on cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-14 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Cool for several minutes and transfer to wire rack with spatula. Can be stored for up to one week in airtight container.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1341-chocolate-chip-cookies/