On our way home yesterday, Maggie said that she wanted to make real cookies not pretend ones. I was not sure what she meant by pretend cookies as I like to think that all my cookies are real. She continued to tell me that pretend cookies are the kind that comes in a box. Her wish was my command, as I could not think of a better idea for a rainy afternoon than to bake a batch of my super delicious barefoot contessa chocolate chip cookies with one of my favorite people.
A few years back my friend Evelyn introduced me to the Barefoot Contessa’s chocolate chip cookie. I had been a faithful Toll House cookie maker prior to this. While the recipes were very similar the use of more brown sugar and less granulated as well as less flour made my usual cookie boring.
After a few years of following Ina’s recipe, I strayed and made the recipe my own. I started doubling up the number of chips or chocolate chunks. As well I used lots of really good butter. The cookies come out thinner, crispier, and super chocolatey which is perfect for dipping into a glass of milk or cup of coffee.
Speaking of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, we had the honor of meeting her at the Fancy Food Show this past Monday. We talked to her for a bit and she even let us snap this photo. Ms. Garten was a delight. She is so sweet, and soft-spoken as well she seemed interested in what we are doing at Chez Us (maybe she was just being nice), regardless it was fantastic to meet the woman who is hanging out with us in our PJs every Saturday morning!
Recipe: Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Chip Cookies
** Originally printed with permission from Publishing House 2009
*** adapted and changed in February 2016 – now I use chunks of chocolate if I do not have chocolate chips
Ingredients:
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
22 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
How To:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy – this will take no more than 1 1/2 minutes – in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer at low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4 inch- diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly.
Bake for exactly 12 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone).
Remove from the oven, drop the pan on the counter to flatten the cookies, and let cool slightly on the pan.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve.
Eat.
More Cookie Recipes
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
There’s nothing like a hot, gooey chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven! I just made a batch myself (any excuse to keep that nice, warm oven on).
How fun that you got to meet Ina! I think she’s great!
Awesome photo! I love Ina Garten. The cookies look great too. Nice and crispy around the edges.
Ohhhh cookies during the rain! Where’s our blanket and the remote? That’s all we’d need, and your cookies would be gone. Luck you to meet Ina. We want to adopt her as an aunt.
Ina Garten is amazing! My faves are her caramelized onion dip and cheddar cheese corn chowder. I love chocolate chunks in cookies too!
Ina is great. How I envy you actually meeting her. I have never made a recipe of hers that wasn’t delicious.
I will look for her cookie recipe. It is a nice cold day here.
Sounds perfect!
Do you know how perfect those cookies look to me? Golden, crispy and ready to join a debauchery duet of scotch for me! Thank you for posting and sending!
These cookies are amazing! I can’t believe such small modifications can transform a plain chocolate chip cookie into pure yumminess! They make a great ice cream sandwich, which was a big favorite at my daughter’s 3rd birthday party.
Hi Starry – We have to agree with you. Keep trying new recipes and always come back to this one. Perfect!
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I made these cookies and they are the best Chocolate Chip Cookies I ever had. DELICIOUS as all Ina’s recipes I have tried are. Love you Ina….
I made these cookies and they are the best Chocolate Chip Cookies I ever had. DELICIOUS as all Ina’s recipes are. I love you Ina…..
Love this recipe and love Ina, but 15 minutes in my oven was too long to bake them. I just watch until they were golden brown and them took them out. They were PEREFT!!
I would like a copy of this cookie receipe
Hi Linda! The recipe is in the post. 🙂 Hope you enjoy.
What are the best chocolate chunks for the chocolate chip cookies?
We like to use the Whole Foods brand as well as Guittard Chocolate since both melt really well and they taste great!
I have to exercise serious control w/these! OMG, they are fabulous! I’ll make but I’ll be giving away real fast otherwise I’ll get in big trouble, as in choco OD!! Thanks for the great recipe!
These look like cookie perfection. So cool you got to meet Ina!
I cannot believe I’ve never made these (my blog has umpteen chocolate chip cookie recipes!). The proportions look terrific—plus I love the massive amount of chocolate chips!!
These look like some delicious cookies! Yummy!
These look like chocolate chip cookie perfection.
So jealous you got to meet Ina. She is one of my favorites!!!
so much chocolate in there. oh my goodness! I love it!
The recipe for these cookies appears in one of Ina’s recipe books. The one in the book says to cook the cookies for 15 minutes….not 12 which they show here
Hello Katy – thanks for reaching out. There are a few changes along the way such as the timing. Twelve minutes works best for us in our location with is the Bay Area – fifteen minutes made the cookies a bit too crisp for our liking. Where are you located?
Hi ina, are these cookies crispy? I love crispy cookies
Thank you Ina
I meet Ina at William Sonoma in Baltimore, several years ago, she was there for her cookbook signing! She was just a delight, soft spoken and had something nice to say to everyone! I can make any of her recipes and know they will be delish! Love these Chocolate Chips!