It happened, finally: I finished the cookie bracket. And somehow, I’m not tired of chocolate chip cookies. If that’s not the clearest evidence that the chocolate chip cookie is the platonic ideal of dessert, I don’t know what is.
It took nearly 17 pounds of chocolate — bittersweet, semisweet, dark and milk — and a little more than 12 pounds of butter. Hundreds of chocolate chip cookies made their way out of my oven over the course of the past five months. I liked almost all of them. And I liked almost everything about making them, except the moment when I realized that it’s always better, no matter what the recipe says, to let your dough rest in the fridge overnight. Delayed gratification isn’t really my thing. But in the case of chocolate chip cookies, it’s a necessary evil.
The chocolate chip cookie bracket took me longer than expected, but it was easier than expected to pick a winner. No cookies are bad cookies, but some cookies are better cookies, and in the end, the best cookie was a no-brainer: the salted chocolate chunk from
.I liked it best. My husband liked it best. My coworkers liked it a lot, though I never asked them to rank their choices; the joy of a midday office cookie makes it hard to have too discerning of taste. And a big part of the reason I liked it was because I think a lot of people will like it, and a lot of you might like making it.
It’s not fussy. It’s classically chocolatey, a little salty and soft in all the right spots. And though there are no obscure ingredients, there is one slightly unusual, crucial one: two tablespoons of turbinado sugar. If you’re unfamiliar, turbinado sugar is a type of brown sugar with extra large crystals, which gives it a crunchy, granular texture. It’s the exact right level of whimsy: You can buy it at your local grocery store, but it’s not something you often see in cookie recipes and, crucially, it also makes a big difference in the texture of the cookie.
Thanks to the turbinado sugar, these guys are just the faintest bit crunchy, even in the soft center, and biting into them — the actual act and feel, not the taste — is downright fun.
A note on the runner-up: Molly Baz’s pistachio, brown butter and halva chocolate chunk cookies really do have a case to be the winner. These cookies are big and flat, crispy and chewy, and if you don’t like pistachios, get out of here. (Or, wait, stay. But try to reconsider. Pistachios are great.) They also sound much fussier than they are in practice, and this recipe actually comes together faster than several that seem simpler at first glance. Even if you make your own halva, which I did, it only adds about 15 minutes.
And a few more notes, while I’m at it:
Make your own halva. Whether it’s for the pistachio cookies or just to snack on, do it. You won’t be disappointed. Halva, for those who don’t know, is a tahini-based Middle Eastern sweet. It can be flavored about a million different ways, but no matter what, it’s pretty simple to make. All you really need is some sugar, a candy thermometer and some tahini, and you’re in business. For a simple version, I like this recipe from New York Times cooking; it’s what I used for the cookies, and it worked well.
I don’t really have much time for semisweet or milk chocolate. In the round of 16, I made each of the recipes exactly as directed, without a shortcut or a substitution or even a minor tweak. And as someone who always uses bittersweet chocolate with a high percentage of cacao, that was a struggle. To me, chocolate needs to be rich and not overly sweet; let the actual sugar make the cookie sweet, and lean on the chocolate for depth of flavor. Well, after that first round, I reverted to my own chocolate rules, and I think all the cookies were better for it. Bittersweet chocolate forever.
Buy parchment paper in sheet form. I’d only ever had rolls before this experiment, and about halfway through, I was so tired of ending up with too small of a piece, or too large, or a piece that wouldn’t stop curling up at the edges. Eventually, I caved and ordered sheets. They’re more expensive, but they’re so worth it.
Invest in Maldon salt, too. I have six different types of salt in my pantry, and I use them all regularly. Maldon salt is by far my favorite because of the way it retains its irregular, flaky shape. Don’t get me wrong: This is vanity salt. But there’s no harm in being vain about cookies.
Rest your dough. I said it above, but it’s worth saying again. Never, ever skip this step. Your cookies will be so much better if you let the dough luxuriate a bit in the fridge. And even if a recipe doesn’t call for a rest, consider one. Have a handful of chocolate chips as a reward for your patience.
Softened butter is overrated. Sure, it’s nice to follow the instructions and get your butter to room temperature. But if you’re feeling impatient, drop that still-kinda-solid fat in your mixing bowl and go to town. Your cookies will be fine.