Elena's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients for 18 large cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened *see notes
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla 
• 2 large eggs (cold)
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour* plus a tablespoon or two if needed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 
• 2 cups or one 12-oz package of chocolate chips (Nestle or TJ's semi-sweet)
• Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F, but use convection so you can bake on all racks at one time.

2. Cut butter into pieces (about 2 tablespoons each) and place in Kitchen Aid mixing bowl and turn it on power 2. 

3. After a few seconds, add sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until creamy (this takes just a few seconds). The butter and the sugars should be mixed enough so no chunks of butter are visible.
4. Add eggs, beating just until incorporated and smooth. Never turn the beaters on high.

5. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

6. Add 2 cups of the flour, soda, salt and chocolate chips all together into bowl with butter mixture.

7. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour to the top of this mixture. Slowly mix the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips together. I have had great success with simply PULSING the mixer at this point. Do not over mix. Turn the dough with a rubber spatula so the bottom of the dough is mixed into the top of the dough. This will ensure the flour is mixed in properly and the chips are distributed evenly.

8. If the dough is sticky, add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of flour to the dough. Remove the bowl from the stand if using a stand mixer, and fold in the flour. (This is only necessary if the dough is sticky).

9. Using a #16 cookie scoop, drop onto un-greased baking sheets, or baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place 6-8 scoops of dough on each baking sheet.

10. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
11. If using convection, bake for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
12. If using regular (non convection) oven, bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

13. Cookies should be slightly golden and the cookie should not look wet on top.

14. Cool on baking sheets completely.

Recipe Notes

• The butter should be more firm than room temperature butter. I take it straight out of the fridge, and microwave it for about  12 seconds and remove butter. You want the butter to be barely soft, as in, when you push your finger into the butter it should barely leave an indentation, but it should leave an indentation. 
• Don’t over beat the butter-sugar mixture, or the batter will become too soft, and your cookies will not be beautiful and puffy. They will resemble pancakes.
• Two of the biggest mistakes made while baking cookies are: 1-Over mixing. This will cause the batter have too much air incorporated, producing a fluffy cookie, instead of a chewy one. As stated in the updated recipe, I usually just pulse the mixer after the dry ingredients are added, which creates more of a folding action instead of mixing.  2-Over baking. Under baking is good! Not under baked to the point the cookie is wet and doughy, but just until the top sets and doesn’t look wet, and the dough looks like it has a bit of a crust.
• If the cookie spreads too much, or the edges are not even, I take a small spatula and push the edges inward to create a cookie that is round. This has to be done immediately after removing from the oven, or remove the pans half way through baking and push the sides in to form a circle. Place pan back in oven and finish baking.
• Last tip. Mound the cookie into a ball. I make them about the size of a golf ball. I use a  #16 cookie scoop. For years, I just used a spoon, and then shaped them by hand. Make sure to flatten the cookie just a little bit before baking. To yield 18 cookies use a  2 1/4 inch  or #16 scoop
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Doubled: (you should do this and freeze half for later)

• 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened *see notes
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1.5 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla 
• 4 large eggs (cold)
• 5.5 cups all-purpose flour* plus a tablespoon or two if needed
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoon coarse sea salt 
• 4 cups or two 12-oz packages of chocolate chips (Nestle or TJ's semi-sweet)
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(Basically verbatim from A Bountiful Kitchen Tried & True Chocolate Chip Cookies with the addition of baking powder.)