The Search for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

My fiance and son are cookie fiends. Some days it feels like I can't make enough to satisfy their needs. Their all time favorite are, of course, chocolate chip cookies. But it's been a game of Goldilocks trying to get the perfect cookie for them.

This one is too hard and flat. This one tastes like a pancake. This one is vegan? Pass. Browned butter, powdered sugar, coconut sugar, cold butter, the combinations and possibilities are endless.

So, we're going on a journey together to find the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies, judged by my boys (and possibly my dad, he could never say no to a cookie).

First up, we have a recipe featuring softened butter, brown sugar and powdered sugar. I'll be honest, this was the first time I've thought of using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar, but I'm all for trying new things!

Things You'll Need:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons of softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.

3. Combine butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar in a separate bowl and cream with mixer until fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla extract. Mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl.

5. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

6. Scoop one tablespoon dough onto baking sheet.

7. Bake until light golden, 10-12 minutes.

Pretty simple right? There were a few things I followed to a tee, and a few things I changed. It's important to note that getting the fluffy butter/sugar mixture involves at least 3 minutes of mixing. Not only will the mixture be fluffy, but it will lighter in color as well. Also when mixing until combined, I literally mixed it until everything is is mixed. Any longer, and you could make some pretty dense cookies.

I did change the type of chocolate chips. Instead of a full 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, I used 2 ounces of larger 60% cacao chocolate chips, and 10 ounces of regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips. This made for a different type of texture and definitely allowed more chips per bite.

And lastly, the time was different for me. For me, the cookies baked close to 15 minutes before I started getting the light golden brown around the edges. Don't be afraid that they're still a little squishy in the middle. Just let them rest on the pan for a couple minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

And the verdict? According to my son, these cookies had the perfect crispy outside and warm fluffy inside. My fiance tried them after they had cooled completely, and agreed they were the perfect amount of fluff. The true evidence was that I managed to get 2 1/2 dozen cookies out of this recipe, and when I came home from work, only 18 were left.

I'd say that's a strong start!