Sheet Pan
by: mrslarkin
January29,2011
4.6
5 Ratings
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Cook time 18 minutes
- Makes about 20 cookies, depending on how much cookie dough you eat
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
Sometimes in my kitchen, mistakes lead to creative inspiration. Case in point, this cookie, which started out as my usual all-time favorite NY Times chocolate chip cookie recipe. On one of the snow days last winter, Sconeboy had a couple of his buddies over. So I, being the bestest mom in the world, decided to make cookies for the boys. Seeing as the first batch was quickly being scarfed down, I moved on to batch #2 and somehow got mixed up with how many cups of flour I had added – I think after one of the boys came in to ask for another glass of milk. I hedged my bets and added what I thought was the last cup of flour, but turned out really to be an extra cup of flour. Anyways, since the “mistake”, I’ve been tweaking this fat-cookie recipe and have decided it’s really good and worth sharing with you all. Oh, and here's the link to the original NY Times recipe. http://nyti.ms/11UTUOA —mrslarkin
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened to room temp.
- 1 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 cuppacked DARK brown sugar
- 1 tablespoonmolasses (optional)
- 1 tablespoonvanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cupsall-purpose flour (1 1b. 2 oz., or 509 g.) Weigh the flour!
- **It's important to weigh the flour for proper chewiness,
- or if spooning flour into measuring cups, remove about a tablespoon of flour from each cup**
- 2 3/4 teaspoonsDiamond Crystal kosher salt (be advised, some other kosher salt brands are saltier)
- 1 teaspoonbaking soda
- 3 to 4 cupssemisweet chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt, like Maldon, for topping the cookies
- a cold glass of milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 heavy-duty cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream together butter, sugars and molasses in mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment.
- Add vanilla and beat for a minute or two.
- Add eggs one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Add flour, salt and baking soda to the egg mixture, and pulse until flour is just incorporated, then beat on medium speed for a minute or two. Stop the mixer, and using a spatula or plastic bowl scraper, check for pockets of flour underneath, and mix in.
- Add chocolate chips and mix on medium-low speed until combined. Cookie dough will be very thick and stiff, and will try to escape if you've got a small Kitchenaid mixer. Push it back down into the bowl if it does that.
- Using a large cookie scoop, place balls of dough about 2 1/2 inches apart. My balls of dough are about 3 ounces each. Smaller than a tennis ball, but bigger than a ping pong ball.
- Roll balls gently to smooth out the edges, if you'd like a neat cookie. Press balls gently with the back of a fork, or your fingers, or the bottom of a glass, or whatever, to ever so slightly flatten. (OK, I've recently started baking the cookies WITHOUT PRESSING THEM. And I think I like them better this way. You decide.)_
- At this point, cookies can be frozen and baked off at a later time. Place them in one layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and stash in the freezer overnight, or for several hours. I prefer this freezing method, and I'm convinced it produces a chewier cookie, but I could also just be imagining it all. In any event, proceed with the freezing. You won't be sorry.
- Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt (this is totally optional, but so so yummy.) Bake for 16 to 18 minutes (depending on if you like super chewy cookies or well done cookies), rotating back-to-front and top-to-bottom at mid-point. Don't over-bake, or you'll lose the chewiness.
- Cookies will be pale and won't brown very much on top, but will be lightly golden brown underneath. Slide entire parchment onto a cooling rack. You want your cookies to bend as you are sliding the parchment to the cooling rack - this is where those attractive grooves and cracks happen.
- Get your cold glass of milk. Taste a warm cookie. Mmmm...Isn't it good?
- Store cookies in an air-tight cookie jar or sealed plastic bag. Cookies reheat nicely in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
- Alternatively, for a small cookie, roll dough into 1" balls. Place on parchment-lined sheet pan about 1" apart. Slightly flatten balls. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen small cookies. Small unbaked cookies can also be frozen and baked off at a later time.
Tags:
- Cookie
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Drinks
- American
- Molasses
- Chocolate
- Milk/Cream
- Sheet Pan
- Vegetarian
- Dessert
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87 Reviews
witloof March 2, 2019
I got up at 6am to bake a batch of these to take with us to a big dance festival, and at that hour of the day I am not too sharp... so I used a half cup measure for the sugars and didn't realize it until all of the dough had been shaped and was chilling, so I couldn't really do anything about it at that point. They were still really good!
mrslarkin March 2, 2019
That is so good to know! I’m glad they turned out ok!!
witloof March 3, 2019
I made another batch yesterday and didn't screw it up. OMG so good. They were a birthday present for a friend.
CassyB January 17, 2019
Excise my French, but, those are THE BEST darn cookies ..... I tried about 4 recipes before I stumbled upon those and OMG. I am so happy I tried it. Thank You so much for sharing
mrslarkin March 2, 2019
Yay! I’m so glad you like them, Cassy
witloof October 8, 2018
Made these again, this time rolling them into balls and chilling them overnight on the baking sheets. I did not press down, as you suggested, and the shape was wonderful, nicely domed. Everyone loved them!
Naomi October 18, 2016
Dear mrslarkin,
Due to a severe gluten intolerance, I haven't chocolate cookies scratch in maybe 6 years. My sister gave me a of Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and I decided to try cookies. After a very successful of molasses cookies from a recipe in my sixth handwriting, I tried chocolate chip recipe exactly as directed reserving the tablespoon of flour per cup and the slight reduction of sea salt. They were the most perfect most delicious chocolate chip cookies I've ever made, with or without wheat flour. Thank you! (p.s. my old phone won't let me edit this so I apologize for typos!)
Naomi October 18, 2016
<--Lord! What a mess! :)
mrslarkin October 18, 2016
I'm so happy you had success with these, Naomi! That is wonderful!!
littlechef16 March 28, 2015
I made these the other day and found them to be a little too cake-y for me. I added a half cup of dark brown sugar, a half stick of butter, and a quarter cup of flower. They were the best chocolate chip cookies i've ever made!
littlechef16 March 28, 2015
*flour*
mrslarkin March 28, 2015
Glad you liked them!
Nicole March 20, 2015
Has anyone tried to halve the batch and if so, how did it come out?
mrslarkin March 20, 2015
I haven't. I always make the full recipe and freeze the raw dough pucks, then bake however many I want.
CarlaCooks January 28, 2014
I made these last night and they are amazing! Perfect texture: very cake-like (which I prefer in a cookie), and they are still just as chewy this morning (yes, I did have a cookie for breakfast). I substitute 100 g of flour for 100 g of rye flour, used 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs, and used about 130 g brown sugar (about 50 g short of a full cup, but that was all I had), 200 g white sugar, and a few tablespoons sugar sirup to make up for the missing brown sugar. I bake two dozen cookies (the timing was spot on) and froze a dozen for later. Thanks for my new favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe!
mrslarkin January 28, 2014
so glad you like these, Carla! We love them a lot, too.
TheWimpyVegetarian December 24, 2013
I make these every year for one of my holiday cookies, and they never, ever disappoint. I've got two trays in the oven right now. I'm eating cookie dough pretty fast though, so they better come out soon or I'm going to run out of dough to bake :-)
mrslarkin January 9, 2014
Step away from the cookie dough! haha. It's seriously one of the best raw doughs I've ever tasted. And they're not so bad baked, either. I love these cookies.
Happy new year, everyone!
witloof January 20, 2013
Hi Mrs. Larkin,
I spoke to the recipient of those cookies {I baked them as part of the Christmas tip my organization gives the staff at the building that hosts our events}. He said, "They were so chewy and delicious, really amazing! The best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had!"
mrslarkin January 20, 2013
I'm so glad, witloof! Now I'm craving these... :)
witloof December 22, 2012
Mrs. Larkin, these are awesome! I used bread flour for extra chewiness and didn't have molasses so I used sorghum syrup. I added a tablespoon of instant espresso powder. The flavor is gorgeous! Next time I make them {these will now be my go to recipe} I'll add some macadamia nuts. WOW!
mrslarkin December 22, 2012
That is great to hear, witloof!! I love all your tweaks!
swedishturkey November 27, 2012
I made these last night, and they are AMAZING! I brought them into work today, and they were eaten up so fast. I have finally found the perfect cookie. Thanks so much for sharing.
mrslarkin November 27, 2012
I'm so pleased, swedishturkey! Thanks for letting me know. We love this cookie like crazy.
mrslarkin November 5, 2012
RECIPE UPDATE: The past half-dozen batches I've made of these cookies, I've added a tablespoon of molasses. The taste is incredible, and I think it adds to the chewiness, but again, I might just be dreaming this part up. I also decided that baking at 350 is ideal, as opposed to 325, especially if you choose to freeze the dough balls. Just make sure your oven is consistently at 350 degrees, and if that means cracking up the oven 25 degrees, then so be it. This is what I do all the time, what with my bipolar oven. It's important to find you oven's happy place.
fiveandspice November 5, 2012
Yay! Fat, chewy cookies are always a winner in my book.
mrslarkin November 5, 2012
I can't decide if I like fat and chewy or thin and crispy. But when I've got one of these in my mouth, and a cold glass of milk, the verdict is very clear.
tessa022707 June 6, 2012
I left you a comment a year ago about how much my family loved these cookies. Wanted you to know that I made them every Sunday for the Oceanside Beach Lifeguards ( my oldest is a beach guard). I would deliver them just as their day was ending and they were coming back to headquaters ravenous.
Just received several FB messages and texts from different guards reminding me the beach season is in full swing as of today and maybe I might want to continue last years routine with " those cookies". Thought you might like to know.....you're a hit at the beach!
mrslarkin June 6, 2012
Thanks, Tessa! That is so cool, and you totally made my day. Where is Oceanside Beach?
tessa022707 June 11, 2012
Northern San Diego County. Oceanside is the northern most city in San Diego and the second largest city in the county. Four miles of beaches mean a lot of hungry lifeguards! So thanks for a great recipe.
cakillgore May 27, 2012
What a beautiful mistake you made! My oven runs hot, so I cut the baking time to 13 minutes and they were perfect. I opted for the larger cookies, and my batch made about 42 3-1/2 inch cookies. Perfec for the kids at our memorial day bbq tomorrow. I also sed Guittard Extra Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips to add a more eleant flavor of chocolate. My Kitchenaid was the right tool for this job! One bowl clean up. Used Morton Coarse Kosher Salt, and that worked perfectly.
mrslarkin May 27, 2012
Thank you, cakillgore! So glad you enjoyed these. I love that Guittard chocolate - so delicious.
Niknud February 4, 2012
On your recommendation, I made these for ice cream sandwiches for dessert. My big mistake was making them early in the afternoon. I had to fend off the hordes with a meat cleaver to make sure there were enough left to make sandwiches by the end of the day. Husband announced: Best Cookie Ever. Why haven't you made these before? Thanks so much mrslarkin!
mrslarkin February 5, 2012
:) yay! You're welcome, Niknud! hope limbs of hordes are safe, and that you had some left over chubbies to make sangwidges.
Martha O. January 2, 2012
This is THE best chocolate chip cookie recipe, EVER. My search is over...
mrslarkin January 3, 2012
Wow! Thanks so much for letting me know, MoD! Glad you've found a winner. Cookie searching can be tiring!
Robin O. September 29, 2011
I saved this recipe a long time ago and I finally made them today. Wow, are they delicious! I love the texture and all of those chocolate chips!!
mrslarkin September 29, 2011
So great to hear, Robin! I'm glad you liked these!!
drbabs September 6, 2011
I just got around to making these today. So, so good. I can't decide which I like better--the raw dough or the cookies themselves. Thanks for a great recipe!
mrslarkin September 7, 2011
You're welcome, drbabs. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
tessa022707 May 23, 2011
I made these cookies 4 times last week! Added cocoa powder to one batch, mini peanut butter cups to another, and homemade toffee bits to another. My co-workers were in heaven to say nothing of hubby and teenagers. Great mistake, it is printed and taped to the inside of the baking cabinet! Thanks
mrslarkin May 23, 2011
You're welcome! That is so great tessa! Really glad you like these - we think they're pretty yummy too!
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