Cook with Metrolink: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and we’re getting out the baking sheets. Chef Heather L. Earnhardt has made thousands of cookies over the years, testing and adjusting this recipe until she found it pefrect. Topped with fleur de sel, they have the perfect balance of salty and sweet. These cookies are easy to overbake though, so remember: they cook a lot more on the baking sheet once you pull them from the oven.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 large egg white at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 20 oz. bag Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips (or a 16 oz. bag of another brand if you can’t find Ghirardielli)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking soda together and set it aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and egg white one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture (don’t overmix!). Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Working in batches (you’ll have to complete this process twice), use a 3 oz. scoop to scoop the dough and drop them on the lined baking sheets, gently pressing down the cookies to flatten them a bit. The cookies will spread when baking, so evenly space six cookies per baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!