Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

So I’ve taken my previously “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe and made it more user friendly to those without kitchen scales. I’ve also added more chocolate because everyone could use a bit more cocoa goodness in their lives.

My thing with cookies, especially those of the chocolate chip/chunk variety, is that it all comes down to texture. I’m all about that chewy center. Nothing too soft, nothing too crisp, buy something just right. The trick to getting this chewy cookie texture is the high ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar in this recipe. I opt for dark brown sugar to lend its extra molasses richness and moisture, which leads to the great bite of this cookie. Mix in some good chocolate, sprinkle with a little sea salt before baking, and you’re ready for a glass of milk.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
• sea salt, for sprinkling

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Add both sugars and the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream together on high speed until perfectly smooth and homogenous, about 3 minutes. (You can also use an electric mixer or get a workout for your biceps.) Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Lower the speed and add the flour, baking powder, and salt to form the cookie dough. Mix in the chocolate chunks.
3. Scoop the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet (preferably lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper), sprinkle with sea salt, and bake until the cookies have spread and the tops have puffed up, 12 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cookies will deflate as they cool.)

So tell me, which chocolate chip/chunk cookie team are you on: crispy, chewy, or cakey?