My Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Back when I lived in New York, there was a particular chocolate chip cookie recipe that was asked for at every birthday party and half-birthday party and fake birthday party there ever was. The recipe had been mine alone, as everyone knew, and “Melissa’s Cookies” were perfected over years of burned cookie edges, too-melted chocolate and raw-dough centers. Once I figured out the proportions, every batch turned out undeniably delicious.
I’d forgotten about my famous cookies until tonight, walking back from the gym with phone in hand, when a particular post on Insta by singer/reality TV star Jessie James Decker caught my eye and brought me charging back to those sweet NYC nights, setting out a plate of cookies on a Saturday as my friends all rushed over, screaming in atonal unison, “COOKIES!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYtiwUYA-Iz/?taken-by=jessiejamesdecker
Here’s the recipe …

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup LIGHT brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi-sweet (organic!) chocolate chips

 Directions

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and place in medium sized bowl.
• Melt butter until it is very soft, about 1.5 minutes in my microwave.
• Put softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl. Mix until it becomes a light brown color and is thoroughly combined, (almost fluffy texture, this will take a while so be patient!)
• Crack open 1 egg and beat lightly. Add 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 tablespoon to sugar-butter mixture. Mix. Add eggs one at a time until combined.
• Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add flour mixture slowly, a little at a time, until it is combined in large bowl with sugar and butter and forms a dough.
• Stir in chocolate chips until combined evenly throughout.
• Butter or line a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Using an ice cream scoop (so that all cookies are the same size) scoop balls of dough onto sheet, leaving about 2 inches around each one to expand in oven (trust me you will need to make this in batches…)
• Cook 11 minutes or until tops are just starting to turn golden brown.
• Allow to cool and consume hungrily!