Makes about 3 dozen cookies
GRAMMA LITERALLY HAD THE BAKER’S TOUCH, WITH TEXTBOOK PASTRY HANDS—elegant, organ-playing fingers and smooth, cool palms, ideal for mixing batters and handling doughs. But only occasionally did I catch glimpses of her skills and how much she liked to bake, mostly surrounding birthdays and holidays, or when I would come over on a regular day and basically wear her down until we baked the Toll House recipe from the back of the crinkly yellow bag, double and triple batches. We lined the kitchen table with brown paper grocery bags, which served as the cooling station at the sheets came parading out of the oven.
Although the roots of the chocolate chip cookie belong in Massachusetts, I don’t know how any American baking book could go without a great recipe for them. I think European-style butter really makes this cookie special, as does that fancy vanilla extract you’ve been saving, and bittersweet chocolate instead of semisweet, because I go for more sugar in the dough than the recipe on the yellow bag.
3 cups/384 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces/225 g unsalted European-style butter, at room temperature
1 cup/225 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups/340 g bittersweet chocolate chips (60% to 70% cacao)
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown and granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and egg yolks, 1 at a time. On low speed, stir in the dry ingredients, then the chocolate chips.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough into balls. Wrap the sheet tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days ahead.
Position oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 350°F/180°C. Line two 17 × 12-inch/43 × 30 cm baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place 12 dough balls on each sheet, evenly spaced about 2 inches/5 cm apart. Bake until golden brown at the edges and slightly soft in the centers, about 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets (just a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack if you like crisp edges, or let them cool completely on the sheets for softer/chewier cookies). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.