Classic Choc-chip Cookies

 

I made these classic choc-chip cookies to take on an outing recently and they went down a storm with my French friends. Several people wanted the recipe. I pointed out that these days you can get big coffee shop style choc-chip cookies at many boulangeries-patisseries, but my friends pointed out that they are dry and hard, whereas my homemade ones are a bit squidgy in the middle and crunchy on the edges. They really liked that texture, and it is how classic choc-chips cookies should  be.

 

Ingredients

125 g butter (half a block if you are in France)

1.25 cups brown sugar

0.75 cups white sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla essence

2.75 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

1 tsp sea salt

250 - 300 g chocolate chunks (I often use a mixture of dark, milk and white)

Method

1. Put the sugars and butter in the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium fast speed with the paddle (cake) beater for at least 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla.
3. In another bowl, make sure the dry ingredients are well mixed.
4. With the mixer still on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients.
5. Once it is well mixed, add the choc-chunks.
6. Cover and chill the dough for at least an hour.
7. Heat the oven to 180C and put baking paper on oven trays.
8. Using a scoop which holds about 30 - 50 ml volume, make balls of dough the size of ping pong or golf balls and put them on the baking trays with lots of space for expansion around them. The biscuits will end up about 15 cm across.
9. Bake for 15 minutes (be careful not to overbake, as they will be like rocks).
10. Sprinkle with sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
11. Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes on the trays, then transfer to cooling racks.

Makes about 15 - 25 biscuits. They should be a bit squidgey in the middle and crispy on the outside.