Recipe: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated and I believe it is also in their "The Best Recipe" cookbook. I have not made it, but have used many of their recipes and they always turn out well. Just as Judy noted, the accompanying article mentions taking care not to over bake the cookies and that the number of cookies in the oven and size will affect the time. The article likens this cookie to the cookies from speciality shops and emphasizes the soft chewy texture. It should be what you are looking for, if you don't mind large cookies. If you need any clarification of the recipe, let me know and I will refer to the article and try to answer any questions.

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THICK AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes about 18 large cookies

"These truly chewy chocolate chip cookies are delicious served warm from the oven or cooled. They rely on melted butter and an extra yolk to keep their texture soft. To ensure the chewy texture, cool the cookies on the cookie sheet. Oversized cookie sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you're using smaller cookie sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches. In addition to the chips, you can flavor the dough with one cup of nuts, raisins, or shredded coconut."

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
melted and cooled until warm
1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips/chunks

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips to taste.

Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth dough's uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20 x 14-inch cookie sheets, about nine balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to two days or frozen up to 1 month--shaped or not.)

Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 or 2 minutes.) Cool cookies on sheets. When cooled, peel cookies from parchment. Serve or store in airtight containers.