Perfect Organic Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Grandma Jackies makes amazing cookies. Back in college I always looked forward to her care packages filled with homemade cookies. It would take me and my roommates weeks to eat all of them!

In honor of Mother's Day, I decided to make a comforting treat: chocolate chip cookies. As you know, I don't usually bake and generally avoid butter and sugar. But it seemed like the perfect way to honor my grandmother and participate in the America's Test Kitchen Boston Blogger Cookie Challenge. The Cooks Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was designed to produce a crispy, chewy cookie that improves on the traditional Toll House recipe.

I decided to give it a whirl and use only organic ingredients. It was comforting to know the delicious cookies would be pesticide and fertilizer free. Additionally, I used free-range, antibiotic free eggs. The results were fabulous. I can't describe how much fun they were to make. I haven't eaten cookies and milk in years!

Recipe and photos after the jump!

Cooks Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups unbleached organic all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 tbsp organic unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
3/4 cup organic packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 large free-range egg
1 large free-range egg yolk
1 1/4 cup organic semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup organic chopped walnuts


Step by Step Instructions:
1. Position oven rack in middle and preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper

3. Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl, set aside

4. Heat 10 tbsp of butter in a (non cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat until melted, 2 minutes

5. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until butter is dark brown, 1-3 minutes

6. Remove from heat and pour into a heat proof bowl. Melt remaining 4 tbsp into hot butter.

7. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk together.

8. Add egg and yolk and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds

9. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes and then whisk for another 30 seconds.

10. Repeat process of resting and whisking until mixture is thick and shiny

11. Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute

12. Add chocolate chips and nuts and mix until just combined

13. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tbsp

14. Arrange 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

15. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through

16. Cool and serve with cold milk

These cookies are amazing! The extra step of browning the butter makes a huge difference. Not to mention I had a great time baking, it reminded me of being a little girl in my Grandma's kitchen!