Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red Sox - Yankees.

Hutu - Tutsi.

Michigan - Ohio State.

Jew - Muslim.

Shaken - Stirred.

The world is full of conflict. No matter where you turn, someone hates someone else, because...?

Well, just because.

Why can't we all just get along?

Of course, I'm no better. I have my biases, my prejudices. For me it's vegan - real person, eggplant - good vegetable, tofu - flavor. Most of the time I can overlook the failings of the other side and simply chalk up their bad decisions to a presumed abusive childhood. But there is one argument that just seems insurmountable. I speak of course of, chewy - crunchy. 

Cookies, my friends. Cookies are only cookies if they are crunchy. If they aren't crunchy, then they are mushy.  If they are mushy, then they are cake. If they are cake, then they are not cookies. Quod Erat Demonstrandum, Cogito Ergo Sum, Moe Larry Curly. The logic is flawless.

Alas, not everyone can see the oatmeal raisin on their own face. I've been repeatedly assaulted by those of you who think the only good cookie is a chewy cookie. The worst thing about this argument is that it exists in my own kitchen. The wolf is clearly in the hen house!

Shockingly, I am the only resident of Chez Crabby who likes his cookies crunchy. I am surrounded by Philistines. Like all intractable problems, we needed a mediator. We needed an envoy, an all-purpose Albright, a Kookie Kissinger. 

Enter SSSal. She has taken the Alton Brown Chewy cookie recipe and crunched it up a bit. Dark brown sugar made the cookies too crunchy, light brown made them just crunchy enough. Besides, if I stash a few and let them stale slightly, I'm happy. Peace in the Land! Huzzah! Huzzah! So please enjoy...

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Alton Brown saved by SSSal

Makes 36

4 sticks unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup sugar

1 pound light brown sugar 

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

4 TBSP milk

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups chocolate chips (use a mix of various chips - milk, white, semisweet, bittersweet)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (or 360 degrees if convection).

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. 

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Pour the melted butter into a heavy duty mixing bowl. 

Add the sugars.

Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed.

Stir together the eggs, yolks, milk and vanilla extract and add to the butter/sugar mix. Blend until well combined.

Slowly add the the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Chill the dough. I repeat, chill the dough at least 30 minutes.

Using an ice cream scooper, portion out 9 cookies per baking sheet. These are giant cookies! Bake for 14 minutes (12 minutes if using a convection oven) or until golden brown (start checking cookies after 10 minutes of baking).

NOTES: Since you melt the butter instead of softening it, this is an easy recipe to assemble. Chilling the dough for an hour or two is best. Any shorter and the dough is still warm while any longer makes it really difficult to scoop out the cookies. The amounts shows are a double recipe - these cookies freeze easily and keep the CrabCakes happy at all hours of the night and day. 

OK crablings, that was pretty easy.  This recipe results in a chewy, slightly crunchy cookie.  For a slightly crispier, (i.e., better), cookie use dark brown sugar. In truth I like these cookies straight out of the freezer, no thawing, no nuking. Warning: Overly aggressive chomping of a frozen cookie could result in a trip to the dentist. Take your time, savor the moment.

Remember, you can do it, you can cook.