Giant Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, November 15th 2015 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

Giant Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies are big in size and flavor…
Blaise Doubman

Ever since I was old enough to understand what a chocolate chip cookie was, I have been their biggest fan. Stirring them up and making them whenever I can. I have fond memories of growing up making cookies with my family and friends. I have found that chocolate chip cookies have healing properties! Well, at least in my opinion. Whenever I start to smell the warm cookies baking in the oven, I immediately start feeling better. And when I bite into one? All my troubles melt away. Am I alone here!? I can’t imagine. For a few years now, I’ve been researching chocolate chip cookies and learning about their history, and the thousands of recipes for them all across the globe.

I assume everyone knows the story of how these were invented originally? Toll House Inn owner, Ruth Wakefield wanted to make a chocolate version of her famous butter cookie, and decided she would chop up a chocolate bar to melt into the cookie, turning them into chocolate cookies. The chopped up chocolate didn’t melt, but instead turned the butter cookie into chocolate-studded cookies – thus inventing the chocolate chip cookie! When developing my own recipe, I decided I would make a few changes to some of the recipes I had seen and just not been happy with. I used butter for flavor, and shortening for the texture. I also wanted to use both white and brown sugar and an extra dose of pure vanilla extract. I have several cookie recipes on my blog, but this recipe is not only my favorite, but the recipe that people ask me for the most.

Giant Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

As with everything else in baking, make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature before starting. It’s very essential to allow this dough to chill in the refrigerator for at least 24-hours. You can stir this up ahead of time, pop it into the refrigerator and a day later, you have dough for cookies anytime. The dough shouldn’t be kept in the refrigerator for any longer than four days. If you want smaller cookies than the larger ones I make, adjust the cooking time, but not the temperature of the oven.

1 ½ sticks (6 oz. total) unsalted butter
2/3 cups solid vegetable shortening
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (mixed with a heaping tablespoon of white all-purpose flour to prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cookie.)

In a large bowl, combine the unsalted butter, solid vegetable shortening, white granulated sugar and light brown sugar and beat together until everything is light and fluffy.

Next, beat in the large eggs, one at a time, until combined. Once combined, add in the pure vanilla extract and blend well.

Finally, add in the white all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt all at once, and stir until everything is just combined – being careful not to over mix.

Gently fold in the white all-purpose flour covered semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and prepare your baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

Place ¼ cup size amounts of dough onto the parchment paper, leaving plenty of room for the cookies to breathe. Each baking sheet will hold about nine large cookies.

Place baking sheets in oven, one sheet at a time, for exactly 18 minutes, turning the baking sheet one time, half-way through baking for even browning.

When finished baking, remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Once moderately cooled, remove and enjoy.