Gennie's Quarantine Cookies!

In honor of the new #CookiePitch, silly pitching event on Twitter, I thought I'd share my famous chocolate cookie recipe with you! ​

GENNIE’S  QUARANTINE COOKIES! 

(A chocolate chip cookie recipe perfected during social isolation in 2020) 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla bean paste (extract works, too, but the paste is SOOO good!) 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch (This is the secret ingredient!) 
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use whatever chips I have around the house. I love combining chocolate chunks, mini chips and regular semi-sweet chips)
• Sea Salt Flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

*NOTE: I LIKE TO MAKE THE DOUGH BALLS AND PUT THEM IN THE FRIDGE. THEN I JUST TAKE 6 OR SO OUT OF THE FRIDGE AT A TIME TO BAKE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY DELICIOUS AFTER BEING REFRIGERATED FOR 2-4 DAYS.

1.   With a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars for about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla paste, and mix for about 30 seconds. 

2.   In the same bowl (!!) add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and mix it around a little using a fork, then use the mixer on medium-low speed to combine the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Don’t over mix. Stop while you still see some flour, because mixing the chocolate chips in the next step will mix the rest. 

3.   Mix in the chocolate chips until they are evenly combined.

4.   Using a dough scoop (or a large tablespoon), make double scoop sized cookies and roll them into balls. (Yes, they're really big!) Refrigerate for as long as you can wait (overnight is best, but an hour would be fine). 

5.   Heat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6.   Then place the dough balls on baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Using a spoon, pastry brush or clean fingers, put a little bit of water on each dough ball, then sprinkle a few salt flakes on top. 

7.   Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crispy and the tops of the cookies are very lightly golden.  The centers may look slightly undercooked. (Note - if you make smaller cookies, start checking them at 9 minutes.) 

8.   Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Enjoy the cookies while they are warm!  Or, transfer to a sealed container and store for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.