Guys I have outdone myself today. I have done it. After billions of trillions of recipes. After billions of trillions of grams of chocolate, butter, sugar and flour. I have done it. I have finally made a chocolate chip cookie that I love so much I could quite possibly die. I have fulfilled my purpose in life and now I can die. Thank you.

Crispy on the edges. Soft and chewy on the inside. Flavour in the everywhere. That to me is what makes a chocolate chip cookie great. And that is this cookie. Chocolate Chip cookies are by far my favourite cookies in the entire universe but not all the chocolate chip cookies in the universe are my favourite if you know what I mean. So in 2013 I set out to find my favourite chocolate chip recipe. To find the ulitmate one if you will. This was no easy task. It took tons of online recipes claiming to be the best to find the right one. Countless tests and a myriad of lessons and mistakes. So many epic failures and so many contenders to be crowned what I thought was the best chocolate chip cookie and I finally did it. After almost 3 years of searching for The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe I found it.

This is, if you will, the love child of Cook’s Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie and the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie. Two recipes merged into one with the addition of my own modifications. After multiple tests and tries there were two recipes that stood out to me and were real contenders for being my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe but I couldn’t decide on a winner. So being the innovative genius that I am {not really ;)} I decided to combine the two and this beauty was born.

I guess there’s quite a bit of science and chemistry behind what makes these cookies great but I can’t explain it and besides, are you even interested in chemistry related stuff unless it’s an episode of Breaking Bad? How great is Breaking Bad by the way? I know it’s already over and the series ended a long time ago but I only started watching it now and I can’t get enough. It’s so great! Anyways back to the science behind the cookie. Despite my inability to explain it to you there are a few things I do know: 1. Browned butter= FLAVOUR and chewiness for days! 2. Demerara sugar= chewiness and flavour. 3. An extra egg yolk= moisture and chewiness level 9000 4. Molasses= even more flavour but totally not overbearing.

Everybody has their own chocolate chip cookie preference. Some like them super soft and chewy. Others thin and crispy. But if your preference is like mine; chewy and crispy and slightly thick then give this recipe a go.

My Ultimate Favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

• 260g cubed butter
• 200g demerara sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 50g white sugar
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 230g cake/plain flour
• 150g white bread flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 300g chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

Method

• Melt the butter in a saucepan for about 10-12 min or until browned and has a rich nutty aroma.
• Place browned butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and let cool completely.
• In a separate bowl sift the flours, salt and baking powder.
• Once the butter is completely cool mix in all the sugars, syrup, molasses and vanilla. Then mix in the eggs and egg yolk.
• Mix the batter on a high speed for 30 seconds then let stand for 2 minutes. Repeat the process 2 more times.
• Then slowly add the four mixture into the liquid batter while the mixer is on a low speed. Before the flour is completely incorporated into the mixture, add the chocolate.
•  I find the cookie comes out best when shaped into balls using an ice cream scoop. Scoop the dough using an ice cream scoop onto prepared baking trays. Cookie dough balls can also be frozen at this point and can keep in the freezer for quite some time.
• When you’re ready to bake, bake the cookies in a preheated oven of 180°C (356°F) for 18 minutes.
• Once the cookies are baked allow to cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them on a wire rack to cool completely or devour immediately.