Chef Kristen Tomlan's Signature Chocolate Chip Cookie

Recipes & Cooking
2 hrs 30 minsTotal Time

ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups heat-treated all-purpose flour
  • 2 ¼ tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tso baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

prep


  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes will do the trick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.

  3. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.

  4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.

  5. Ready to fall in love? Dig in! If you want cookies, keep reading!

  6. First, transfer your cookie dough to an airtight container or press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the cookie dough. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours. If you can’t stand to wait, place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. (This step helps your cookies hold their shape and gives you that nice gooey cookie center, so don’t skip it!)

  7. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. 3 Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use a cookie scoop to portion cold dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between scoops.

  8. For soft-baked, gooey cookies, bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. Check halfway through baking to ensure your cookies are cooking evenly. Rotate the baking sheet if needed. For crispier cookies, keep them in the oven for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

  9. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.

  10. Enjoy warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Cookie Troubleshooting

Baking the perfect cookie can be TOUGH. I get it. Even after giving your dough major TLC, you can end up with a cookie fail. Let me guess—you followed the recipe, just as it said. You did your very best, but they’re still not flawless. These are the troubleshooting lessons I’ve learned from baking thousands of batches of cookies at home and in the DO kitchen.

ISSUE 1 - TOO MUCH SPREADING 

If your cookies spread too much, you should try these tips before you give up!

  • Chill your cookie dough! The colder the dough starts out, the thicker the cookies will end up.
  • Never use hot baking sheets. Your cookie dough will start to spread the second it hits the pan.
  • Heavy-handed on the butter? I know, it’s good, but make sure your measurements are precise. Cookies with too much fat can’t hold structure.
  • Temp too low? If your oven says it’s 350°F but it’s lying and it’s actually 300°F, your cookies will slllooowly spread instead of quickly bake.
  • Put down the PAM! Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to keep your cookies from sticking. Cooking spray can be absorbed into cookies, causing them to loosen and spread.

ISSUE 2 - THEY DIDN'T SPREAD AT ALL

If your cookies didn't change shape at all, or they are like tough/crumbly biscuits it could be...

  • You might have mis-measured the flour. Flour is the most commonly mis-measured ingredient in baking. Always fluff your flour and then scoop it into the measuring spoon and level it off to make sure it's just right. 
  • Maybe you over mixed? Did you get distracted and leave the mixer going for too long? You might have over activated the gluten, which will cause tough cookies that are best for the trash!
  • Did you over bake on accident?   Check your oven temperature and time. Pull cookies out when they are just barely golden brown - they will continue cooking on the sheet while it's hot!

ISSUE 3 -  THE BOTTOMS ARE BROWN

Oh no! Cookie mistake #1. 

  • Did you use a dark baking sheet? Try a lighter one and line it with parchment paper or a non-stick silicon mat.
  • Is your oven rack too close to the bottom? Just move it up so it's closer to the middle or top! 

ISSUE 4 - THE BATCH DIDN'T BAKE EVENLY

The worst! Some are overdone, underdone, half done.. it's a mess.

  • Rotate, rotate, rotate! Most home ovens bake unevenly. Try rotating the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the bake time. If you’re baking two sheets at once, rotate their rack placement too—move the bottom to the top and vice versa.
  • Use a cookie scoop. When cookies are different sizes, they have no chance at baking evenly. Come on, your hands can handle the workout!
  • Try turning on the convection setting - that fan in the back will help to evenly distribute the heat. Plus it can speed up your baking time - win, win!

ISSUE 5 - MY COOKIES LOOK BLAH!

Are you doing all the things but still having trouble? The worst!

  • Check to make sure your leaveners aren't expired or old! Have they been sitting in your cabinet for the last 2 years? Might be time to get some new ones!!
  • You should get new leaveners every 6 months! Or, you can test to make sure they are still active. Place baking powder in water and it should fizzle. Try mixing baking soda with vinegar and if you don't get that volcanic explosion from your 4th grade science fair, you might need to get a new box!
  • Did you swap out baking powder for baking soda thinking it wouldn't matter? Wrong! Baking soda and baking powder are used intentionally! They react with other ingredients in the dough. For example, baking soda is a base, so it needs an acid in the recipe to react with. Without the acid, it can't do it's job!

COOKIE 6 - PERFECTION

You did it! Too perfect to eat? NAH!

  • They're round and thick, fudgy in the center with melty chocolate throughout and just enough crunch on the edges.
  • Let me guess? You used a cookie scoop! You chilled your dough! You added toppings on top before you baked it! You lined the tray with parchment!!
  • Congrats, you're a DO PRO!

- Kristen Tomlan

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