The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER

I know, it sounds crazy. But this recipe really is PERFECT. I have never made these without someone asking for the recipe. Never. And as good as I am at making them (and I am), all of the credit goes to chef, cookbook author, food stylist, and content creator Tara Bench of Tara Teaspoon. 

Tara is a friend of mine from my magazine days; she was the Food Director at Ladies' Home Journal when I was the Fashion Editor. I've enjoyed countless recipes from Tara over the years, and they're all delicious, but none are quite as special as her award-wining Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

And good news, she's gracious enough to share the Tara Teaspoon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with anyone who wants it! I've been making and sharing these for over a decade so be sure to check out my notes at the bottom. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by Tara Teaspoon

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups flour (For Gluten Free version: substitute flour with Gluten Free All Purpose Flour)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (see my note below*)

• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsps or 1 tblsp vanilla extract (I go for the full tablespoon when I make them)

• 1 package (11.5 oz bag) of milk chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli and you should too)

• 1 package (11.5 oz bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli and reduce this amount to about half of the bag or even just skip the semi-sweet)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. (Be sure to "fluff" the flour before scooping. Just stir it a little to loosen it up.) Whisk together and set aside. 

3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using a paddle attachment on your mixer. 

4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. 

5. Add the dry mixture, a little at a time, and mix.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips. (Note: The dough is crazy thick! If it’s hard to stir, you’ve done it right.)

7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. (The perfect time for my oven is eleven and a half minutes but be careful; Tara says “Don’t overcook”! They’ll look a little undercooked when you take them out but they continue cooking a little on the pan before you transfer them to a cooling rack.)

My personal notes:

• Tara’s recipe calls for two full bags of chocolate chips: one semi-sweet and one milk chocolate. I used to use one milk and a half bag of semi-sweet but over time, I totally nixed the semi-sweet and they are just as delicious as always. 

• Tara recommends chilling the dough overnight. I’ve done it and it does make a positive difference but it’s not necessary. They’re still amazing without the chilling step! 

• *Re: butter. I’ve learned over time that you don’t really need to let the butter soften very much. I used to let it warm up on the counter for hours but now I feel like 30 minutes is plenty and it results in a thicker cookie. (If the butter is too warm, it melts too quickly making the cookies flat.)

• This makes a HUGE batch! It’s great to bring to parties but you can either just halve the recipe or try Tara’s small batch version if you just want cookies for your family. 

• I've been experimenting lately by adding a little sea salt right after they come out of the oven and I think it's delicious but my husband says "Don't mess with perfection"! He may be right. Tara's recipe is perfection! 

Thanks again to Tara for so kindly sharing this recipe with the world. Be sure to check out TaraTeaspoon.com for so many more recipes and give Tara a follow on Instagram: @tarateaspoon. You can also grab her beautiful cookbooks here. 

Thanks for reading! 

XO

Sue 

P.S. Fun fact: Tara's wearing Libby & Smee tile bracelets in one of the pictures in her cookbook!