Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies You'll Ever Have

Everyone has that one food that they cannot resist, don't you agree? If you set a plate of warm chocolate-chip cookies in front of me, I will literally not be able to stop my hand from reaching out and taking one. So, the recipe I've been waiting to perfect my whole life is for the best chocolate chip cookies, hands down. Well, today, Aran from Cannelle et Vanille shares her recipe (complete with two secret ingredients!)...

The Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies You'll Ever Have
By Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who like their chocolate chip cookies thin and crispy and those who like them thick and chewy. While I cannot claim that I'm the most discriminating when it comes to cookies, I belong to the latter--and so do my children.

Logs of this frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer have saved me many times when a sweet treat was needed. I have served these chocolate chip cookies even at adult-only dinner parties. Salty cookies with espresso.

And what makes them special, you might ask. The answer is the moist muscovado sugar and the touch of fleur de sel. Muscovado--unrefined sugar obtained from sugarcane--is moist, coarse, and perfect with chocolate and coffee.
Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Muscovado and Fleur de Sel
Makes 2 dozen cookies

If you don't have issues with gluten, you can use 8 ounces (230g) of all-purpose wheat flour in place of the gluten-free flours.

You'll need:
1 stick (110 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light muscovado sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup (140 g) brown rice flour
1/2 cup (60 g) amaranth flour
1/4 cup (30 g) tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for topping
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chunks or chips

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, muscovado sugar, natural cane sugar and vanilla extract. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes until light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and mix until combined.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, fleur de sel, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
3. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Scoop the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. With the help of the parchment, roll the dough into a log that is approximately 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap the log with the parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. In this time, preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Cut the log into 1/2-inch disks. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats leaving 2 inches in between the cookies.
6. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until edges set and start to turn golden. They might look a bit underdone, but this is fine. They will harden as they cool and slightly under-baking them will keep them chewy and moist.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before trying to lift them. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Thank you so much, Aran! Are you a chewy or crispy cookie person?

P.S. More "best of" recipes...

(Photos by Aran from Cannelle et Vanille. Thanks to Shoko for her help with this series)