Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies, ChefSteps

Description

Based on the recipe by ChefSteps. Low-protein pastry flour and a chilled dough rest control fat spread and protein set — the two levers that separate a flat, greasy cookie from a thick, tender one.

Yield: About 20 cookies (65g each)

Ingredients

Item	Amount
butter	220g
brown sugar	200g
granulated sugar	180g
kosher salt	15g
baking soda	5g
pure vanilla extract	20g
eggs	100g (approx. x2)
pastry flour	400g
40% milk chocolate, chopped	300g

Tools

Items
stand mixer with paddle attachment
baking sheet
parchment paper
cooling rack
digital kitchen scale

Recipe

1. Cream butter, sugars, salt, and baking soda: Add the butter (220g), brown sugar (200g), granulated sugar (180g), kosher salt (15g), and baking soda (5g) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium for 2 minutes, then bump to medium-high for another 2 minutes. Scrape the sides — you’re looking for a pale tan, fluffy, whipped texture.

2. Add vanilla and eggs: With the mixer running, pour in the vanilla extract (20g). Drop in the eggs (100g) as slowly as possible so they emulsify into the fat. Crank to high for about 1 minute until everything is completely uniform.

3. Add flour and chocolate: Add the pastry flour (400g) and chopped milk chocolate (300g). Mix just until the flour disappears — overworking develops gluten and yields tough cookies.

4. Portion and chill: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Weigh out 65g balls of dough and space them on the tray. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes — chilling keeps the center molten and chewy while the outside caramelizes and sets.

5. Bake: Bake for 13–14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and rest for 10 minutes before eating.

Tip

Dense & chewy: The moment the cookies come out of the oven, press the top of each one with the flat bottom of a glass. This compresses the interior crumb and cracks the shell.

Tip

Peanut butter twist: Add 200g of peanut butter to the mixer in Step 1, and reduce the pastry flour to 320g in Step 3 for a savory, ultra-moist cookie.

Note

Convection oven: Dab a tiny bit of dough under the corners of the parchment paper to anchor it against the fan.

Note

Why pastry flour? Protein level determines texture. Bread flour (high protein) → extra chewy and dense. Pastry flour (low protein) → fluffy and tender. Cake flour (lowest) → stodgy and crumbly. All-purpose is an unpredictable blend that varies by brand — ChefSteps avoids it for that reason.