Yields: About 18 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus dough chilling
Bake Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 1/2 cups (255g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or a mix)
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Medium bowls
- Whisk
- Electric mixer (stand or hand-held)
- Large rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop (optional but recommended)
Instructions:
1. Get Organized:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
2. Dry Ingredients:
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Creaming:
- In a large bowl, beat butter with both sugars on medium speed with your electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract and the scraped vanilla bean seeds.
4. Combine the Dough:
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined (be careful not to overmix).
- Stir in chocolate chips with the rubber spatula.
5. Chill:
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for the best flavor and texture.
6. Bake:
- Scoop dough (about 2 tablespoons each) and place the cookie dough balls onto baking sheets, spacing them a couple of inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips:
- Quality Ingredients: Using high-quality vanilla and chocolate will significantly enhance the cookies’ flavor.
- Room Temperature: Allow chilled ingredients like eggs and butter to reach room temperature for better mixing.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the dough after the flour is added creates tough cookies.
- Dough Chilling: This crucial step helps prevent cookies from spreading too much and develops a richer flavor.
- Customize: Add chopped nuts, a hint of cinnamon, or mix in different chocolate varieties.
Enjoy your delicious, bakery-style vanilla bean chocolate chip cookies!
