Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all‑purpose flour scooped lightly and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch for extra softness
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature (for extra chew)
- 1 1/2 –2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate bar
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts if desired
- Optional: flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
Prepare the pans and dry mix.
- First, the oven is preheated to 350°F, and two baking sheets are lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl, the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch are whisked together until well combined, then the bowl is set aside.
Combine butter and sugars.
- Next, the melted butter is poured into a large mixing bowl, and both sugars are added and whisked until the mixture looks thick, glossy, and slightly lightened in color. This step helps dissolve some of the sugar and builds a chewier texture in the finished cookies.
Add eggs and vanilla bean paste.
- After that, the egg and extra yolk are whisked in until the mixture is smooth and ribbony, and then the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract are stirred in until evenly speckled. At this point, the bowl can be left to rest for a few minutes to allow the flavors to bloom and the mixture to cool slightly.
Add dry ingredients.
- The dry mixture is then added to the wet ingredients in two additions, and it is stirred gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Over‑mixing is avoided so the cookies stay tender instead of tough.
Fold in chocolate (and nuts, if using).
- The chocolate chips or chunks, along with any nuts, are folded in until they are well distributed through the dough. The dough should look thick but scoopable and should hold mounds when dropped from a spoon.
Chill (optional but recommended).
- At this stage, the bowl can be covered and the dough chilled for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours for deeper flavor and thicker cookies. If time is short, the dough can be baked immediately, but a brief chill will still be helpful.
Portion and bake.
- Using a 1 1/2‑tablespoon cookie scoop, mounds of dough are dropped onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. The cookies are baked for 10–12 minutes, until the edges look set and lightly golden while the centers still appear soft and slightly underdone.
Finish and cool.
- Right away, the pans are tapped firmly on the counter once or twice to deflate the centers and create chewy, crinkly tops. If desired, a pinch of flaky sea salt is sprinkled over each hot cookie, and then they are left on the pan for 5 minutes before being moved to a wire rack to cool.