Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next up: Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, these were actually supposed to be THICK chewy chocolate chip cookies, just like the ones on the blog, Barbara Bakes. Hers looked so beautifully mounded on top that I had high hopes for mine. But, as you can see, my cookies are as flat as a pancake (not necessarily a bad thing, but just not what I was going for).


So, what went wrong? Well, I followed the recipe exactly and baked my cookies for 8 minutes even though they didn't look quite done. I then left them on the cookie sheet for several minutes to finish setting up. To my dismay, I found that underneath the delicate layer of cookie on top, my cookies were still batter throughout! So, back in the oven they went for several more minutes, then out they came, and after sitting again, still batter. Back in the oven once more, take them out, let them sit, and finally they were baked. But, naturally, by that time, the extra baking time had caused them to completely spread out losing that beautiful thickness I so desired.

Since other people have made this recipe with fantastic results, I can only chalk it up to one thing - my oven. Lately, I've been using a really old gas oven. Although it gets the job done, I've noticed that it takes a lot longer for things to bake than usual. The recipe also requires the cookies to be baked at the exact temperature of 400F in order for the cookies to turn out, and unfortunately, the temperature in my oven is not the steadiest thing to manage either.

But, despite the problems I had, the cookies are so delicious. Due to the fact that the recipe uses all brown sugar and no white sugar, they are wonderfully soft and chewy and full of that yummy caramel flavor. Eating them reminds me of those Keebler Soft and Chewy cookies I used to love so much when I was younger. You can bet that I'd make them again, but I think I'll wait till I can use the convection oven at my house.


Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Barbara Bakes)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar, on medium speed, until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.

Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto baking pans. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. (Take the cookies out of the oven 1 or 2 minutes before the cookies are cooked, as they will continue to cook on the baking pans.)

Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely.

This recipe is linked to:

Made it on Monday

CCC Round-Up

Great CCC Quest of 2011:
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
BAKED Chocolate Chip Cookies
Allrecipes' Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies