This recipe is originally from Joanne Chang’s Masterclass. 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! I think there is nothing better than giving that special someone a thoughtful treat you made yourself – like the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Lucky for you, I have a fool-proof recipe that is sure to add some sweetness to your Valentine’s Day.  

Before you get started, there are a few key things you will need for this recipe to work: 

• Kitchen Scale: measuring by weight instead of with traditional cups and spoons allows for more precise measurements, ensuring accuracy and consistency every time. 
• Stand mixer: you can make a hand mixer work; just know you will have to use a lot of elbow grease to perfectly crème your butter and sugar. 
• Bread Flour: most cookie recipes just use all-purpose flour, however mixing in bread flour adds a tender chewiness to the cookie that is irresistible. 
• Good Chocolate: if you do not think it tastes good on its own, do not put it in your cookie. 

Ingredients:

• 9 oz (255 g) bittersweet chocolate (62% to 70% cacao) or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces from a brick (about 1½ cups total)
• 2½ oz (70 g) milk chocolate, roughly chopped from a brick (about ½ cup)
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (165 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup (150 g) bread flour
• 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla paste)
• 1 cup (2 sticks/228 g) unsalted butter at room temperature

Preparation

I like to begin by measuring out all my ingredients. 

Place a mixing bowl on the scale and tare the scale. Before the tare times out, weigh out the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks. Tare the scale again and add the milk chocolate chunks to the same bowl. Set the bowl aside. 

I prefer to use a brick of Callebaut milk chocolate instead of mixing both semi-sweet and milk, again it is just whatever you prefer. 

Place a clean mixing bowl on the scale and weigh out the granulated sugar. Tare the scale again and add the brown sugar to the same bowl. Set the bowl aside. 

Place another clean mixing bowl on the scale, tare the scale, and weigh out the bread flour. Tare the scale again and add the all-purpose flour to the same bowl. Add the baking soda and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients. Set the bowl aside.

Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract to the eggs and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside.

Once you have your ingredients weighed out, you are ready to start making your cookie dough. 

Making The Dough

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using an electric hand mixer (note: using a hand mixer will take longer), add the butter and both sugars. Cream the ingredients, starting on low speed and increasing to medium speed, until the butter is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stop the mixer a few times throughout and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that all of the ingredients are combined. Continue mixing on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes more, pausing occasionally to scrape down the bowl, until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes to aerate the mixture, which will ultimately give the cookies a crispier, lighter texture. Pause the mixer. 

Turn the mixer on low speed, and slowly drizzle in the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is fully incorporated, and the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pause the mixer.

Add the chocolate chunks to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir gently to combine. Add the chocolate-flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, and pulse in the standing mixer (quickly turning the machine on and off) on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the ingredients are mostly combined.

Remove the bowl from the standing mixer, and finish combining by using a rubber spatula. Gently fold the dough by pushing your spatula into the centre of the bowl and scooping up from the bottom while turning the bowl. Mix just until there are no dry ingredients visible. Be careful to not overwork the dough, or the cookies will be tough.

Transfer the dough to an airtight container just large enough to hold it. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours and up to overnight. (If you have enough space, you can also cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, press down to create an airtight seal, and place it in your refrigerator.)

This may seem unnecessary, but I promise you this is crucial. If you do not let your dough rest, your cookies will not be as tender as they could be. 

Once your cookies are well rested, it's time to bake them! 

Baking

Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C, and position two racks as close to the centre as possible.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a large spoon, a wooden spoon, or even your hands), drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, spaced 2 to 3 inches apart (you may need to use multiple baking sheets). You can do this with chilled dough straight from the refrigerator or allow the dough to come to room temperature (about 1 hour) to make it softer and easier to scoop. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball slightly. If your dough has warmed to room temperature, this step is not necessary.

Bake until the cookies are golden brown at their edges and slightly soft in the centre, 15 to 18 minutes. If you’re baking multiple sheets at once: Halfway through baking, place the bottom sheet of cookies on the upper rack and the top sheet of cookies on the lower rack, and rotate both sheets 180 degrees to ensure an even bake. Once the cookies are baked, cool them on their baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When cool, the cookies should be golden brown on the outside and pale golden in the centre and cooked all the way through. 

To serve, arrange the cookies on a plate or platter. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.