Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

For years I'd been using the Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe, with increasing dissatisfaction.  They tasted great, but were often flat and greasy.  Then, my daughter introduced me to this recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  The cookies are wonderfully tender and chewy, and with no hint of grease.

To get a really chewy cookie, use a 1/4 cup of dough per cookie.  If you like smaller bite-sized cookies, no worries.  You'll still get a soft chewy center - just less of it!

3 1/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (one cup), butter, melted and cooled (note)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (12 ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips or 2 cups of your favorite flavored chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat melted, cooled butter, and sugars until well combined.  Beat in eggs, egg yolks and vanilla.  Add flour mixture on low speed.  Finally, add the chips.

Roll up to 1/4 cup of dough at a time, into balls and lay on cookie sheets (for larger cookies, about 2 1/2 inches apart).  Bake until golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes, less for smaller cookies.  Cool cookies on baking sheets for 10 minutes, before serving or transferring to another surface.

To make ahead and freeze:  once dough-balls are formed, place on cookie sheets and flash freeze for two hours.  Transfer dough-balls to ziplock bags.