The chocolate chip cookie dough, a simple, tested, and versatile base, perfect for achieving crumbly, fragrant, and well-structured cookies, with the chocolate chips distributed evenly. It’s an ideal recipe to always have on hand because it allows you to make cookies that retain their shape and consistency when baked, without spreading or becoming soft inside.
With this base, you can prepare classic cookies, cookies for the Befana, hearts for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, simply by changing the shape and decoration. The presence of butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, together with baking powder and baking soda, ensures perfect crumbly texture and a dry but fragrant texture, ideal for enjoying plain or decorated with powdered sugar, chocolate, or glaze.
It’s easy-to-work dough, compact but soft during rolling, perfect for preparing even with kids.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: About 20 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for chocolate chip cookie dough:
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (level)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 8 tbsp soft butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 medium egg (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Tools for chocolate chip cookies:
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand whisk
- Plastic wrap
Steps for making the cookie dough:
In a bowl, work the soft butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until you get a creamy mixture, then add the whole egg and the vanilla extract (if desired), continuing to mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Add about half the flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and start working directly with your hands inside the bowl. Then gradually add the remaining flour, continuing to knead with your hands until you obtain a compact and well-blended mixture. Finally, add the chocolate chips and briefly work again with your hands to distribute them evenly.
Form a loaf, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
At this point, you can roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and cut out cookies with cookie cutters or form balls of 0.7-1 oz, slightly flattening them. Place the cookies on a non-stick baking tray and bake them in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 12-13 minutes, until they are lightly golden underneath and light on top. Once cooled, the cookies will reach their perfect crumbly texture.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Yes, the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for 24 hours wrapped in plastic wrap. Before using it, let it rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Why are both baking powder and baking soda used?
The combination of baking powder and baking soda allows the cookies to develop properly during baking, maintaining a crumbly consistency and good structure.
Can I substitute the chocolate chips?
Yes, you can use chopped chocolate, nuts, hazelnut grains, almonds, or even smarties.
How do I store the cookies?
The cookies can be stored for 4-5 days in an airtight container or tin box, maintaining crispness and crumbly texture.
