Baking Blonde’s Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow, hey readers, if there are any of you left. Last I posted a recipe was this past summer. A good one, but not good enough to get you through months of nothing I am sure.

Well, it seems life gets in the way sometimes. I will save you the long story and get right to the recipe.

I made this recipe up myself and am pleasantly surprised I like these as much as I do.  I wanted a chewy and buttery chocolate chip cookie and am surprised I enjoy the taste so much since I prefer my cookies to be a bitter thicker. Maybe next time I will try and increase the flour measurement below by a 1/4 cup and maybe add a 1/4 tsp of baking powder to my next batch for those wanting to change it up before I do.  I am posting this recipe as I made them as I  think these are a great tasting cookie and my Taste Tester actually loved them.  He informed me that he actually prefers flat chewy cookies. Who knew after 3 years together I would not even know he cookie preferences?

These cookies, while flat, have a nice buttery taste to them that more than satisfies my cookie craving. I decided to make these festive by adding some Holiday chips and some dark chocolate disks I had on hand but any chips will do. These were so good right out of the oven but still taste great after cooling so I am looking forward to tweaking the recipe as mentioned above to see if I can improve on these already delicious cookies. The cornstarch in the recipe helps to keep them soft and chewy so long as you don’t over-bake them.

I do want to point out that the ingredients are a bit different than some other cookies I have made as I start this recipe with cold butter (yep, you read that correct, COLD butter) right out of the fridge. I chopped it up and whipped it good with the sugars which actually beats air into the dough, which, should in theory produce a bit thicker and chewier cookie. That, along with the cornstarch should create a thicker and chewy cookie than what I got but I was not disappointed too much after I tasted them. Mine were chewy but failed to be thick due to not enough flour so I look forward to making these again soon but with my tweaks, hopefully creating the cookie I was originally trying to make.

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Baking Blonde’s Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter cut into 1/2 inch chunks (right from the fridge)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS cornstarch

1 cup chips (i used 1 cup Holiday chips and 1/2 cup Nestle’s Dark Chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter into 1/2 inch chunks. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth (about 2-4 minutes) until creamy (the dough will start to stick together after a while as the butter blends with the sugars, beat until this happens.

Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch and mix until the dough comes together.

Chill for 10 minutes or longer (cover so the dough does not dry out)

Scoop out the dough using cookie scoop or Tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheet (so they don’t stick)

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and set.

Cool and enjoy (or eat warm)

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Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes from an old church cookbook I have had forever. I have been trying to go through all of my cookbooks and actually try some of the recipes I have marked that sound good. I tend to get into a routine and bake the same few desserts over and over again that me and my Taste Tester love.

These cookies lived up to the title, they were soft and chewy but not overly cake-like. I really enjoyed them but do prefer a few other on my site more. My Taste Tester enjoyed them and has said I can make them again, so I guess they have his seal of approval.

These are nothing ‘special’ just a good old cookie recipe.

I rate this recipe an 8

Soft and Chew Chocolate Chip Cookies
from the St. Mary’s Cookbook 2009

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup bread flour
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nutsPreheat oven to 350.

Line baking pan with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add the bread flour, flour,  baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix just until combined.

Add chips and nuts.

Drop by spoonfulls on baking sheet. Bake about 8-12 minutes until just golden. Do not overbake. Cool on rack or baking sheet.

Store covered and sealed.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

I love some good sugar cookies. I usually only make them around the holiday season but had a craving this week that I needed to satisfy. I typically only make my sugar cookie recipe since I know they are great and my friends and family love them and I like rolled sugar cookie recipes. Since I was going to be the primary person consuming this batch of cookies I took the opportunity to try a new recipe.

I have had this recipe down to try forever so gave it a whirl. The dough came together super quick but did require some chill time before baking. The end result are as the title promises “soft”! In fact, it has been 4 days and they are still super soft, almost too much so. These turned out much more cake-like than I would typically like but they did have a great flavor and were a pleasant change of pace.  I topped with a simple buttercream frosting and found the frosting was the perfect compliment to the cookie. I may add a bit more vanilla to the recipe next time if I make them again as I found they could use a bit more flavor in my opinion. With the frosting they were fine, but alone needed a little something more.

If your family loves super soft cookies, these will be right up your alley. My Taste Tester enjoyed them but admitted he really enjoyed eating them just to get eat the frosting. He has been known to eat this frosting with a spoon so that is no surprise to me.

I rate these cookies an 8

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
from here

4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 tsp. vanilla extract

*frosting recipe below can easily be doubled for a cake
Recipe from a cake decorating class I took years ago

Buttercream Frosting
4-5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup shortening (NOT butter flavored)
2 TBS vanilla extract
3-4 TBS milk or cream
Gel Food coloring (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
Slowly add the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.
Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.

Bake about 10 minutes or just until set.  (Do not overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.)  Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting. Cream the butter and shortening with a mixer until combined. Slowly add sugar a bit at a time. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Add milk or cream 1 TBS at a time until a spreadable consistency is achieved. Keep beating frosting for 3-6 more minutes until fluffy. Tint with gel food coloring if desired.  Frost cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Double Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

With Easter just around the corner I decided to whip up some cookies using the fun pastel colored coconut M&M’s.  This recipe is based loosely on the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal  cookie recipe that I love so much.  I basically adapted the recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand.  I typically toast my coconut before using it is baked goods but skipped that step this time around.  I found that the untoasted coconut (while not as ‘nutty’ flavored as the toasted coconut) caused the cookies to remain nice and chewy, so long as you don’t over-bake them. I enjoyed the coconut M&Ms in the cookie but to be honest would break them up next time. I found the size of them (about the size of a peanut M&M if not larger) was a bit too large for these cookies.  They were fine right out of the oven when the chocolate was all melty and gooey on the inside, but once they cooled, the chocolate pieces were large and awkward to eat in the cookie. The chopped M&Ms may not look as pretty but I think the size would better compliment the cookie.

I rate this recipe an 8
Double Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

14 TBS  sticks butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 ¾ cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup coconut M&Ms

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, mix the butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla; beat well.

Slowly add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add oats and coconut; mix well.

Fold in the M&Ms

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies for Valentine’s Day

I wanted to make some super simple and quick cookies for Valentine’s Day to take to work. I have used a similar recipe before with great results but changed up the proportions a bit. Not sure if I was just in a chocolate mood but these were better than I was expecting.
These cookies were a cinch to pull together and I was finished from start to finish in under 30 minutes. I love that this is kind of a ‘cheater’ recipe since you really only add ‘wet’ ingredients to a cake mix.

The end result is a rich, thick and chewy cookie that is sure to satisfy your chocolate craving. Feel free to mix up the flavor of cake mix to what ever you have on hand, I am sure they will all be good.

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup oil
1TBS water
Chocolate chips (I used 1 cup)
Sprinkes to make pretty

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, oil and egg. Add cake mix and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips or other add-ins.

Chill for 10 minutes.

 

Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

 

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely as they will break easily if moved too soon

 

Cowboy Cookies

I have had this recipe for what seems like years (probably because it has been years, my time flies). I first made this recipe after a pretty bad break-up and these soon became my go-to-when-ever-you-need-a-big-hug cookies. The recipe is very simple to follow though the ingredient list is a bit longer than cookies I typically make. I don’t know where they got their name as the recipe was given to me from a friend. I have noticed other similar recipes and it seems the recipe below is based off of Laura Bush’s cookie recipe (though I had this recipe long before Laura Bush’s was made public, go figure).

What you end up with is a sturdy but not dry, oatmeal cookie with tons of flavor. I have described these cookies as a little party in your mouth with all of the flavor and texture going on. With each bite you get a subtle hint of cinnamon, the crunchy pecans, a bit of coconut and smooth creamy chocolate. Really, what more could a girl ask for to put a smile on her face?  I know some of you don’t like cinnamon (I am not a lover, especially with chocolate) but the flavor here is mild and just provides that little ‘extra’ flavor profile without taking over the cookie. 

I like making the dough one day and baking the next, I find the chill time really enhances the flavor of the finished cookie, but I have also baked these right away and did not have any go to waste (if you know what I mean??).

There is really nothing I would change about this recipe, I will caution not to overbake or the cookies will become crunchier than what they should and the coconut can burn a bit (espeically if it is sticking out of the dough ball).

I rate these cookies a 9.5

Cowboy Cookies
based on this recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon. baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
1  cup sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3 (to 3 1/2 cups)  cups old-fashioned rolled oats (depends on wetness of dough, start with 3 cups and increase from there)
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in bowl.

In a large bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.

Gently stir in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.

Stir in by hand the chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.

For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake in 350 F oven 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.

NOTE: I make regular size cookies and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden on the bottem and the sides are set. I allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes and then transfer to a papertowel lined cooling rack.

Tender Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe I worked on a very long time ago before I began blogging. My Taste Tester and I were in the mood for some chocolate chip cookies to enjoy while watching a Saturday afternoon football game. After going through several of my recipes I decided to give this one a go as I couldn’t remember how they had turned out when I had made them before.

The secret ingredient in these cookies is the cornstarch. I began playing around using cornstarch after my family enjoyed these cookies but I hated the artificial vanilla flavor they had from the pudding. The reason those cookies are soft is due in part to the cornstarch in the pudding mix. I decided to cut out the pudding mix and use straight up cornstarch.

The results were very good! These cookies have a tender crumb. Chewy, but not in an underbaked or too cakey sort  of way some chewy cookies can be. The crumb is light and tender and the cookies stayed that way for at least 3 days in a sealed container. I found myself commenting how tender they still were days later. My Taste Tester agreed though ate most of his warm from the oven (and by most I mean 8).

If you are looking for a tender, chewy chocolate chip cookie, give these a try. I must say, the nuts really add something to these but feel free to omit them if you wish.

I rate these an 8.5

Tender Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nutsPreheat oven to 350.

Line baking pan with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined. 

Add chips and nuts. 

Drop by spoonfulls on baking sheet. Bake about 8-12 minutes until just golden. Do not overbake. Cool on rack or baking sheet. 

Store covered and sealed.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I share with you the very first recipe my Taste Tester ever made for me. We had only been dating about a month and he surprised me with these when I stopped by to visit one rainy afternoon. After the first bite of these warm and gooey cookies, I knew, he was a keeper.

I ate far too many of these that afternoon. This recipe produces big, soft chewy cookies with a nice peanut butter flavor. He found the recipe in some old church cookbook his mom (now my mother in-law) had purchased for him. Little did she know it would help him snag a wife 🙂

Whenever I have a bad day, or if he just wants to cheer me up, these are cookies he makes for me and they always bring a smile to my face. If you are looking for a great basic peanut butter cookie recipe, here is one to try!

I rate this recipe a 9

Peanut Butter Cookies
no author

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco (or butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Reese’s Pieces (as many as you want)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray mini muffin pan with cookie spray

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla. Continue mixing until incorporated. Slowly add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until combined. Stir in Reese’s Pieces.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop out about 2 TBS of dough, shape into a ball. Slightly press down on baking sheet.

Bake for about 8-12 minutes or until golden. Do not overbake.

.Remove from oven to cool.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

I have been making this recipe since I was 10 years old. It is one of the first cookie recipes I ever made on my own.  I never knew the controversy behind it (we are talking pre-internet days in the rural Midwest). I never knew the story behind this recipe and thought it was just another cookie recipe in my mom’s church cookbook. I loved trying recipes out of those books! It was so neat to make recipes submitted by our neighbors and family, heck they were celebrities in my mind. I wanted to get a recipe into that cookbook so bad. Ah, dreams as a child.
I must have been living under a rock (or the MIdwest) because it wasn’t until recently that I realized the cookies I enjoyed making as a child are actually quite famous. I know there are a few variations of the recipe but this is the one I am most familiar with and used to make.

These cookies were a favorite in my family. I enjoyed using the blender to whirl the oatmeal, it made this recipe a bit more special than others I made. The blended oatmeal creates a chewy texture and a bit of nuttiness that takes this cookie to another level flavor wise. Over the years I have modified the recipe a bit but the original I used to make is the same as the one in the link below.

I have found that a tad less butter does not sacrifice flavor or texture and a larger ratio of brown to white sugar gives a creates a chewier texture and a deeper flavor profile. I also don’t blend the oatmeal to a flour but instead allow a bit of the texture to remain, sort of in between flour and oatmeal. I have also found I much prefer the mix of semisweet and milk chocolate chips, they play off of each other so well! I also highly recommend the walnuts (toasted preferably). They really compliment this cookie. If you have never made these before, go ahead and try the original (from the link) and adapt to your own preferences.

Overall these are a great cookie when you want a chocolate chip cookie but something a little bit out of the ordinary (not totally crazy). My Taste Tester enjoyed these but not as much as I do. He suggested next time to add a bit more flour to make them a bit “thicker” to suit his preferences. I also would like to brown half the butter next time to further develop the nutty undertones.

I rate these cookies an 8

Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe
adapted from here

2½ cups rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature or slightly softer
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract6

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces milk chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 . Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a course powder. In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls  and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the outside but still look a little undone in the middle. (this will keep them soft after cooling). Store in an airtight container.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dad visited us a week ago and while he is not a huge sweet lover he does have a special place in his heart for chewy chocolate chip cookies. Not the cakey type, but just a nice soft cookie that you can sink your teeth into and that will hold up well after a quick dunk in some cold milk. Determined to please my father’s craving, I whipped a batch of cookies that I knew would fit the ‘soft and chewy’ bill.

I have had this recipe for what seems like a decade. I rarely make these, not because they are not good, but because I never seem to have their ‘special’ ingredient in my pantry. These cookies use vanilla pudding mix as their secret weapon  that allows them to remain soft and chewy long after cooling. It is the cornstarch in the pudding (or so I hear) that holds the magical power. You can use other flavors, I like butterscotch and vanilla the best. 

Just as I knew these would, they baked up gorgeous (slightly lighter in color that other cookies) and had the perfect texture my dad was looking for. How was the flavor? Well, for a non-sweet  eater, the proof in the taste was that he ate 6 of them right after he finished off steak and potatoes for dinner.

Like I said, these are not cakey but do bake up a bit fuller than other cookies. They remail soft and chewy after cooling and have great taste. If you have the ingredients, take some time and whip these up!

I am unsure where I received this recipe or where it originated from since it is on a random piece of paper in my cookbook but will give credit to the blog that most recently made these in my google.reader account.

I rate these cookies an 8.5
My dad rates these a 9.5

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
as seen here

2 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup  brown sugar
1/4 cup  granulated sugar
1 small (3.4oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding mix (or other flavor)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (i used milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate)

Preheat your oven to 350. Line yourbaking sheet with parchment.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing  bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the pudding mix and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition eggs. Add vanilla.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded spoonfulls of cookie dough onto prepared pan.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden and set.
Let  cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool fully.