My Absolute Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted very slowly
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2-4 tsp vanilla extract (I like a lot of vanilla)
• 2 Tsp water
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 bag of Dark chocolate chunks
• 1/2 bag of Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 bag of Heath toffee bits (in the chocolate chip section)

Instructions:

***I usually double this recipe. I like to keep a baggie of frozen cookie scoops in the freezer for a quick dessert or to bake a cookie on a day I am wanting one!***

1.  Gently and slowly melt the butter in a small pan. Make sure it doesn’t boil or lose too much water content.
2. In the bowl of a mixer put your sugars and add your melted butter. Mix until the sugar is dissolved into the butter and has a creamy texture. This can take several minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated.
3. While the butter and sugar are mixing, in a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together with a whisk. Set it aside.
4. Add your egg to the sugar/butter mixture and mix until fully combined. If doubling the recipe, add the second egg once the first is combined. Scrape down the sides of the  bowl again.
5. Add the water and the vanilla and mix until fully combined.
6. Next, add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl as the paddle attachment spins slowly. Add it in two batches so the flour gets fully incorporated.
7. Once the dough has formed, stop the mixer and add your chocolate chips, chunks and Heath. Start the mixer again and let it mix slowly. Once all chocolate has been incorporated, stop the mixer and get ready to scoop out the dough. You can eliminate any of these chocolate chips or chunks, but don’t skip the Heath! I love a very rich, chocolatey cookie so I add all. Gracie loves to add Milk Chocolate instead of the Dark. You do you and find what combination works best for your favorite cookie!
8. I put parchment paper on 2 baking sheet pans. I have a small oven so my pans are 1/2 the size of some baking sheet pans. This helps when you put them into the refrigerator. You probably don’t have room for a large baking sheet pan in there.
9. Using the large or medium ice cream scoop, scoop out your dough balls and place them in rows on your sheet pan. When the dough is all scooped, put some plastic wrap over the scoops and place it in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
10. At this point you can bake some and freeze some. If you are freezing some, place the scoops in a gallon size zip lock baggie and store in the freezer.
11. If you are baking some, preheat your oven to 350f.
12. Place your dough scoops on a parchment lined baking sheet pan. Space them out so they won’t run into each other through the baking process.
13. Bake for 5 minutes, then take them out and bang the tray on your stove or the counter top. Turn the pan around and put back into the oven for 4-5 more minutes. I like mine crisp on the edge and soft and chewy in the middle.
14. Once they are finished baking, take them out and bang them on again 1-2 times on the counter, leave them on the pan to cool for about 5 minutes. Then put them on a cooling rack that is lined with parchment paper to continue cooling. The chocolate will be very melty and hot so be careful! I love the combination of the melted butter and dark brown sugar – which gives off carmely notes – and the toffee definitely kicks it in high gear and tastes like heaven to me!
15. Serve them on a big platter. These will become everyone’s favorites after the first bite!
16. AIR FRYER METHOD:  If you have frozen your dough and want a little treat, pop 1 or 2 dough balls on parchment and place them in your air fryer. Heat it to 350f and cook for 8 minutes. Being very careful, take out the parchment and sort of set them down in a banging manner to flatten them some. I like to put mine back into the air fryer for 2 more minutes, take them out and do the same thing. Let them cool and eat them by themselves or with your favorite ice cream!