Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been eating chocolate chip cookies my whole life. I have been making chocolate chip cookies ever since I was a little girl. I have also recently been obsessed with browned butter. Naturally, when I saw this recipe claiming to be the perfect chocolate chip cookie AND it used browned butter you better believe that I had to try them! Well let me tell you these cookies are FANTASTIC! They are buttery and sweet, soft and chewy, and of course make you want to eat a million of them with a side of milk! The recipe made 2 dozen and I'm pretty sure my husband and I ate at least half of those within the first 2 days (yes we semi reluctantly shared the other half with others). These cookies are amazing as the original recipe, but like any food blogger I had to change things up a little, I had to add my own little touch to these bad boys. I wasn't trying to compete with the perfect cookie, just give it a little twist. I found that I like these both ways. I really had a hard time picking which cookie I liked better. I think all and all I am still leaning toward the original recipe. I will post my slight changes and you can try either. Either way you have some amazing cookies! If you try both let me know which one you liked better.  I originally got the recipe from Fun and Fearless in Beantown who got the recipe from Cooks Illustrated .

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (with my slight adaptions)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) (I used 1 cup white and 3/4 whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for something different try 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4cups high quality chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional- I left them out)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. I used my kitchen aid mixer with the flat blade attachment. Add egg and yolk and mix until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then mix for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and mixing 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Shape dough into 1 inch round balls. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. My oven cooks pretty evenly so I didn't rotate the baking sheet halfway through. My cookies only took about 8 minutes to cook so watch them carefully. I took them out just when the edges started looking golden brown. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Note: If you have a food scale use it. I think its easier to weigh flour sometimes than to measure it out plus you know you got the right amount.