The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I recently joined Cookie Carnival because the cookies this baking club make always look so good. I did a little research and discovered that I can make the cookies or choose to pass. That's my kind of club and so I decided to join. My life has been so busy since July and I am trying really hard to keep up. Sometimes I do a good job. Sometimes...not so much.

Anyway, back to cookies. My toddler helped me make these. I don't know if I consider them to be the ultimate cookies, but they were good. I even have some in my freezer since he devoured them. In fact, if cookies were on the menu for dinner tonight he would have been in heaven.

I can't wait for Kate at The Clean Plate Club to announce December's cookie.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.