March 14, 2016

National Chocolate Chip Cookie Week: Classic CCCs

So, according to my King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalog, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Week is a thing. 

I find it entirely fitting that foods like grilled cheese sandwiches, fried chicken, oatmeal, guacamole, and roast-suckling-pig-I-am-not-making-this-up get their own national days (April 12, July 6, October 29, November 14, and December 18, respectively), but the chocolate chip cookie gets an entire week.*

Chocolate chip cookies (CCCs)) are treated with reverence and respect in our home.

For one thing, my family overlooks a great deal of moodiness and general irritability on my part simply because I am able and willing to produce CCCs on a regular basis.

My husband would happily eat chocolate chip cookies every night for dessert for the rest of his life.

And when I know my daughters are having a rough day in the world of school, friend drama, and estrogen-overload, I administer CCC therapy when they get home. It helps, every time.

You need to know that I like my CCCs crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and generally plump and chewy all over. I do not like flat, cakey chocolate chip cookies. This is not a moral stand, just a personal preference. 

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies {print}
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips (your choice of size, shape, and cacao percentage)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the butter for a minute or so by hand or (even better) with an electric mixer. Dump in both sugars and beat another minute or so until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil, vanilla, corn syrup (which will slide right out of the tablespoon if you measured the oil first), and egg. Beat just until incorporated. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour-salt) and dump on top of flour mixture. Beat in just until incorporated. You're not making yeast bread here, so don't overbeat. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. 

Drop by globs (I use a 2-tablespoon scooper) onto your prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 6-7 minutes. I like mine just starting to crack at the edges. Remove from oven and cool on the sheet for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely if you're storing them. Or don't cool them at all (other than that first 2 minutes) and eat them straight away with a big glass of milk. If you are storing them, make sure your container is airtight and that it didn't last house spaghetti sauce. Because marinara-infused CCCs are not going to become anybody's Next Big Food Thing.

If you don't want to bake any or all of your dough right away, you can chill it for a few hours or overnight and then bake as directed. You just might have to add a minute or two to the baking time. You can also make these cookies bigger or smaller or flatter (just smoosh the dough balls with the palm of your hand before you bake them); again, adjust the baking time accordingly. You can even make them "burned" if that's your thing. I mean, I can't imagine, but as Ma Ingalls always said, "It take all kinds of people to make a world."

If all this is just a bit much for you, take heart: National Fresh Celery Month is also a thing, as it turns out.** If that's more your style, please know that my portion of the world's fresh celery supply is all yours. 

*March 14-20 in 2016.
**The month of March in 2016.

This post may have been shared at these bloggy bashes.

Other posts that have something to do with this one:
White Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Confetti Cake Batter Bar Cookies

22 comments:

  1. I haven't tried CCC therapy with my girls in awhile, but your recipe presents the perfect excuse for the whole family to try it! I like my cookies just the way you describe yours!

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    1. Tracey, you haven't needed CCC therapy in a while because you are an awesome mom who can calm and encourage with your words and spirit. But I am such a mom mess, I have to resort to drastic measures. Like cookie dough. P.S. So glad we share a similar philosophy on what proper chocolate-chip cookies should be like. ;)

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    2. Had to come back and comment here - we needed a "back-to-school" treat, so I finally got around to making these cookies this weekend. I'm a picky chocolate chip cookie eater, and these now rank at the top of my list!! The rest of my family loved them, too. Thankful to have a go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies now!!

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    3. Aw, Tracey...that's one of the all-time nicest compliments I've ever gotten! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed these! After all, we moms of teen girls have to help each other out any way we can. Blessings on the new school year to you and your sweet ones!

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  2. You're awesome. And these sound delicious by the way!!! :-) Can't wait to try them. :-) And I do love celery, but I would much prefer the chocolate chip cookie or a BROWNIE any day!!!

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    1. Oh, dear Christine, you are my kind of girl. ;) But then, I hope you already knew that. Thanks for taking time to stop by my little salute to CCCs!

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  3. Your cookies look amazing! And I find that they are great healers in our home too! Thank you for sharing this week at the Art of Home-Making Mondays Elizabeth! I enjoy your humorous and inspiring posts very much :)

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    1. Aw, thank you so much! Glad to hear the power of CCC therapy is not limited to our house. ;) And thank you for being such an encouraging hostess at the Art of Home-Making Mondays...you are so sweet to take time to give so much gracious feedback. Blessing--and cookies--be yours!:)

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  4. There is nothing better than a classic chocolate chip cookie! Yum, yum - looks delish. I'd love for you to stop by and link up at our new link party, where we make the features! http://uncookiecutter.com/2016/03/baked-quesadilla-squares-link-make-5/ - thanks for sharing!

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    1. Wow! What a fun and creative party! Thank you so much for the kind invitation...I'm headed there right now! :)

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  5. How did I miss that week???? Either way these sound amazing and I think I will celebrate a little late by baking a batch 😀

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    1. Ashley, there is never a bad week to make chocolate chip cookies! :) Celebrate away, I say. And thanks so much for stopping by.

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  6. I didn't end up getting these made, but they are still at the top of my list for when I'm back on my feet again!

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    1. Yes, keep them at the top. You need cookie therapy. If only I could bring you some myself. Last night, I stuffed this dough with brownie batter balls and baked them off. Epic.

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    2. Well now that's just crazy! (and sounds delicious!) :D

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  8. This recipe is so different from mine. I may just have to give it a try!

    If you want a cookie fix without turning on the oven you should try this cookie dough dip...

    https://bluebirdbeginnings.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-dip/

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    1. Well, obviously, I am a pretty big fan of these! ;) I know they are a little different from some CCC recipes, but the little tweaks are what make them so popular in my house! As for your recipe, two words: oh + my. Thank you for sharing!

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  9. I had some ccc therapy tonight but it was the cookie Pizza from Pizza Hut haha. I will have to try these out (ccc's are my favorite besides brownies of course ��). Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Well, CCC therapy is CCC therapy! But this recipe might come in handy if you need that therapy and don't have other alternatives. ;) Thanks so much for checking this post out, Kristen...you're a doll!

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  10. Cake flour and corn syrup...those would be new ingredients for me. I hope they render my cookies softer, because they tend to harden after baking. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

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    1. YES, Sarah...the cake flour and corn syrup are in here for exactly that reason. After many, many test batches of cookies (none of which my family seemed to mind), this combination is the one that gave me the soft, gooey result I was looking for. I hope they are a success for you! In the meantime,I'm just over on your lovely site right now...

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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!