THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER

WHY DO COOKIES SPREAD & FLATTEN?

1. Expired leavening agents. If your baking soda or baking powder are past their prime, your chocolate chip cookies will likely flatten and spread. Even if the date on the container checks out, it still might not be good. That would be the first place I would start.
   1. How to test if your baking soda is active: Combine 1/2 cup of hot water, 1/4 teaspoon vinegar and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. When you add the baking soda a reaction should take place immediately. If not, then you need new baking soda.
   2. How to test if your baking powder is active: Add  1/2 tsp of baking powder to 1/2 cup of hot water. It should bubble immediately. A reaction should take place immediately. If not, then you need new baking soda.
2. Over-mixing. If you over-mix the ingredients in this best chocolate chip cookie recipe you may end up with flat cookies.
3. Ingredients are too warm. Sometimes over-mixing can also lead to your ingredients becoming too warm. If you notice this happening, you can chill the dough before baking to return the batter to room temperature.
4. Incorrect oven temperature. I recommend baking with an electric convection oven. If your cookies and other baked goods are not turning out properly, invest in a cheap oven thermometer to check the temperature. If your oven is baking too hot or too cold, then the cookies will not turn out well.

WHY DIDN’T MY COOKIES FLATTEN? 

1. The ingredients/cookie dough was too cold. Cold dough doesn’t spread as well as room temperature dough.
2. You accidentally used too much flour. Be sure to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (NOT a pyrex liquid measuring cup), and do not use a knife to level the flour. Instead, fill the measuring cup over-full and shake off the excess until you have a level 1 cup.
3. The oven temperature is incorrect. I recommend using an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven (it’s only $7), because it can often be different than the reading it gives on the display or what the dial is set at.
4. The butter/sugar mixture wasn’t fully creamed. Try creaming the butter and sugar together for longer.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER: SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Butter. I use Kirkland Brand Salted Butter from Costco to make these cookies. I have also used Tillamook salted butter with equally excellent results. Unsalted butter would also be great! I just recommend tasting the dough to ensure that it’s salted to your liking!
• White Sugar.  I always use Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar (also purchased from Costco in a 10 LB bag) to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have been purchasing that sugar for as far back as I can remember and it’s really the only white sugar I use! But I know others have had success with other brands of granulated sugar as well! And any white, granulated sugar should work!
• Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar in this recipe for the best results!
• Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make these chocolate chip cookies!
• Sea Salt. I exclusively bake and cook with pure sea salt (usually purchased from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts, their house brands). Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized), so if you use salt other than sea salt I recommend testing the recipe first with 1/2 tsp and then adjusting to your taste!
• Chocolate Chips. As you can see from the photos, sometimes I use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips. It doesn’t matter what you use, as long as you use 2 cups!