The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies – Just In Time For Valentine’s Day!

Nothing says “love” like putting effort into something that you create yourself – remember how your Mom’s face lit up when you brought home your construction paper cut-out Valentines from school every year? Sadly, the bar raises as we get older, and your 8-year-old art projects are unlikely to win over many hearts as an adult – so put down the glue stick and make these amazing cookies instead!

Everyone loves a classic chocolate chip cookie, and these come highly recommended – Chef Tim Love recreated his Mother’s cookie recipe for Food and Wine and it currently has almost five thousand five-star reviews online. These cookies are supposed to be a little crunchy on the outside, but soft in the middle, and are packed with milk-chocolate chips, instead of the usual semi-sweet ones. I’m willing to be that five thousand people can’t be wrong – Enjoy!

What You Will Need:

2 1/2 Sticks of unsalted butter – softened
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking soda
1 Pound milk-chocolate chips
3 Large eggs
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt

How To Make The Cookies:

Step One –
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat at low speed until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Gently stir in the chocolate chips, then cover and refrigerate the dough until chilled (about 1 hour).

Step Two –
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into “clumps” about 2-tablespoons in size and roll into balls. Place the balls of dough about 3 inches apart on the baking sheets (the cookies spread quite a bit while baking). Bake in the lower and middle thirds of the oven for about 17 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, but still very soft in the center. Shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the bake time. Slide the parchment onto cooing racks to let the cookies cool, then run the baking sheets under cold water before preparing the next batch. Repeat steps with remaining dough until all of the cookies are baked.