Start With Something Easy

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Save energy! Preheating an oven for an hour or more is not necessary. “When European and American cooking tools and classic recipes were developed, wood- or coal-fired home ovens were slow to come up to temperature and ovens were unevenly heated until the cook had time to spread the embers and wait for heat to disperse from all sides: hence, preheating made sense to our ancestors and early cookbook authors (Treehugger.com).” Figure out how long your oven takes and time its turn on appropriately. if you have a relatively new model, it shouldn't take long. Also consider turning it off near the end of bake time. My digital thermostat makes it easy to monitor the exact temperature and come to find out, is more accurate and efficient. And don’t open the oven to peek, that’s what the window is for ;)

2 and ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
Just under ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
12 TBS (1 and ½ sticks) grade AA unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks and or chips (I use 1 plus a few extra)
Baking sheets
Quilon free, unbleached parchment paper
Hand held or standing mixer
Wire cooling racks

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth (1-2 minutes).
5. Next beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on medium until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.
7. Increase mixer speed to medium and add another 1/3 of the flour mixture.
8. Add remaining flour mixture and chocolate chunks. Use wooden spoon to finish mixing dough if your mixer sounds like it's working really hard. It may feel stiff but this is needed to help the cookies keep shape and thickness at altitude!
9. Roll dough into 2 TBS balls (see cookie spoon pic below), making sure chocolate is well incorporated and dough isn’t cracking. If it is just keep molding and rolling between your warm hands for a few more seconds.
10. Place dough balls on baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
11. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8 minutes and then rotate sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes.
12. Remove from oven (even if they haven’t browned at all) and let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
13. Serve or store in air tight container immediately. Cookies baked at altitude dry out QUICKLY!
14. Eww I hate odd numbers so let's make up step #14. Eat with cold milk!


I use this handy dandy cookie spoon I got at Bed Bath and Beyond for scooping. It has a flexible bottom for easy dough removal. To create 2 TBS balls for this recipe, I aim for "rounded" spoonfulls. That means more than level but less than "heaping."


Taking pictures of baked goods is hard. Taking pictures of baked goods at night is harder. I think I'll have to develop my photography skills along with this blog...