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Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Every Time

April 9, 2015 By Lena

I wouldn’t call myself an expert baker, but if I make a recipe often enough, I like to perfect it.

I can make perfect chocolate chip cookies. 

And I want you to make them, too! That’s why I’m sharing my tried-and-true tips for yielding a batch of delicious, chewy cookies that will make you famous at bake sales and family gatherings. (After all, life is all about street cred.)
IMG_2423 (2)Tip #1: Find the perfect recipe. My go-to recipe is Chocolate Chip Cookies a la Anna Olson. Says Anna: “Tried, tested and true. My secret ingredient is cornstarch to make chewy-centred cookies! If you want crispy cookies, omit the cornstarch and replace the baking soda with baking powder.” If I’m honest, I’d like you to throw away all your chocolate chip cookie recipes and simply make these ones going forward. Yes, they’re THAT good. 

Tip #2: Shape your cookies. I know it’s tempting to drop dough onto the cookie sheet by rounded teaspoonfuls, and that’s completely acceptable if you want a more rustic, handmade-looking cookie. However, the name of the game here is perfection, and the only way to get a perfectly rounded cookie is to use a cookie cutter. Round 2-inch cutters work well with this recipe; simply chill the dough slightly to make it easier to handle, and scoop out a 1-inch ball of dough. Flatten on a lightly floured surface with your palm or a rolling pin, and cut into a 2-inch circle.

Tip #3: Never use a warm (or hot) cookie sheet. Unless you simultaneously bake 3-4 cookie sheets at once, chances are you’ll have to use a sheet which just came out of the oven to bake your next batch. Wait. Let it cool completely. Grab it with oven mitts and dance around the kitchen if you have to, allowing it to air out and cool down. Because flat cookies are a direct result of butter melting before the rest of the ingredients can start baking. And melted butter yields pancake-like cookies. No bueno.

Tip #4: Use large chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. This is really just for aesthetics; large chips give more visual impact and peek out from the top with panache. Small chocolate chips are way too “Chips Ahoy” for my liking.

Tip #5: Don’t overbake. Most cookies will finish setting after you’ve removed them from the oven. The trick to soft, chewy cookies is to remove them before they’re done; they’ll firm up on your countertop, promise. The cookie below was baked for exactly 9 minutes; you can see it is browned perfectly around the edges and still soft in the center.
DSC_0746That’s all folks! Your 5-minute tutorial to the best chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever make. Oh, here’s one more tip – make sure you have friends and family who can help you enjoy this delicious treat, or you may find yourself eating them all! (Not that I’m speaking from experience, of course!)

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Anna Olson Chocolate Chip Cookies, cookies, recipe

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Comments

  1. Lynda Cook

    April 9, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    Anna Olson is the best!! I love her shows, she makes everything look so easy to make and whip up!! the cookies do look awesome, I love chocolate chip cookies they are only the best!!

  2. Alayne Langford

    April 9, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    Looking good Lena!! I need a good gluten free recipe!! ;)

  3. Judy Ottenstroer

    April 9, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Mmmmm. Me want cookie!

  4. Branka Stefanovic

    April 9, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    Perfection… thanks for sharing! can’t wait to try it out :)

  5. loucheryl

    April 9, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    I’m going to try your tips. I still haven’t found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. Maybe it’s the way I bake them.

  6. Florence C

    April 9, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Your chocolate chips cookies look fabulous. I wish I had a couple of them right now.

  7. heidi c.

    April 9, 2015 at 10:54 pm

    These look so good. I have to try them this weekend!

  8. Holly

    April 9, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    I can never get my cookies to be soft centered. I’m definitely trying this recipe!

  9. nicolthepickle

    April 10, 2015 at 9:12 am

    These look wonderful. I’m a good baker (not bragging. I just have a lot of practice.) But I do not have the perfect chocolate chip recipe in my husbands opinion. So the search goes on.
    The perfect cookie is all about texture to me.

  10. Maria Griffin

    April 10, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    Wow. I am so making those. Must-be-chewy for a cookie to be good fan here.

  11. Jen C (@JusticeSadie)

    April 10, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Awesome Tips…I now need to make these Perfect Chocolate Cookies YUMMO

  12. jan

    April 11, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    your DO look perfect! guess I better start shaping mine…..

  13. Treen Goodwin

    April 11, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    These look so amazingly good , thanks for sharing i so wanna make them :) i love chocolate chip cookies mmmmm

  14. Kevin B

    April 11, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    They look perfect

  15. Silvia D

    April 11, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Thanks for sharing ! These looks soperfect! Bet they are tasty too! Will try the tips on my next baking day!

  16. Marissa

    April 12, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Yum, Yum, Yum!! These cookies look so good! I need to try this recipe soon and thanks for sharing Lena!

  17. Rosanne Robinson

    April 15, 2015 at 9:50 am

    chocolate chip cookies are my grandson & hubby’s favourite, can’t wait to try this recipe, they look do decadent!

  18. Guppy

    April 15, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    These look perfect and I bet taste the same!

  19. nicolthepickle

    April 16, 2015 at 7:05 am

    Your cookies look amazing. I haven’t had breakfast yet…better go and hang out somewhere else.

  20. angie in my 30s

    April 16, 2015 at 11:58 am

    yum yum yum! these look so tasty that i wish i had cookies at my desk now lol

  21. Jamie Glenn

    April 16, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    OMG!!! They look delish. I need to make these. Thank you for posting them.

  22. Stephanie LaPlante

    April 18, 2015 at 8:31 am

    For a moment, I thought tip #2 said “share your cookies” and my immediate thought was “NO WAY”.

  23. Cher

    April 22, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Challenge accepted! Thanks for the great tips.

  24. Margaret Imecs

    April 23, 2015 at 11:00 am

    Great tips! I love the idea of using cornstarch and cookie cutter. Thanks Lena!

  25. Eva Mitton-Urban

    April 23, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    Never to date have found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is MOIST. These look delicious – time to attempt yet again to please my 11 year old son. Thanks for the recipe post.

    Eva Mitton-Urban

  26. Melinda L.

    April 28, 2015 at 11:34 am

    Thanks for the helpful tips. Shaping the cookies is the best job…aside from eating it of course :P I love making heart shapes or other character shapes

  27. Anne Taylor

    May 7, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    These cookies look perfect! I love having handy dandy dependable recipes on hand!

  28. Athena

    May 9, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Thanks for the tips!

  29. Wanda Tracey

    May 13, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    I love Anna Olsen’s shows and the cookies look so amazing and deliciously moist!I will definitely be making these.Thank you so much for the great tips too.

  30. Victoria Ess

    June 4, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Thanks so much for the tips!!

  31. kathy downey

    June 5, 2015 at 11:05 am

    Yum,these sure look tasty!

  32. kathy downey

    June 12, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    Hi Lena,these are really a cookie perfection,I made these a few days for the grandkids and they were gone in no time.Thanks once again really enjoying your page
    Kathy

  33. Debbie Bashford

    February 29, 2016 at 6:26 am

    will have to check out this recipe

  34. Debbie White Beattie

    August 5, 2016 at 2:16 am

    I love chocolate chip cookies and they’re a favorite in my household as well. So I’ll be trying this recipe too.

  35. kathy downey

    September 12, 2017 at 11:58 am

    There is nothing better i like than a hot cup tea and a good chocolate chip cookie and i found the perfect combo with your recipe !

  36. kathy downey

    January 4, 2018 at 10:54 am

    We are going to make these again on the weekend when the grandkids visit,these are their favorite

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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