i am a food blog

Usually I feel a little weird saying “the best.” I hear it/see it a lot, but I tend to reserve the best for, well, the best. Inevitably, this means I don’t use “the best” as a modifier very often. That being said, I feel totally and utterly confident that this chocolate chip cookie recipe is, in fact, the best. This recipe is Ashley’s from Not Without Salt. They’re golden brown and crispy on the edges and perfectly gooey and soft in the middles. The sprinkle of sea salt takes the entire cookie over the edge.

I used Ashely’s awesome cookie mix, but her blog has the recipe up as well, which I’ve put down at the bottom of the post. Regardless if you use the mix or measure out the ingredients by hand, you’ll have gooey, delicious chocolate chip cookies in no time.

These guys are perfect for a last minute treat, or maybe to make to leave out for Santa. Do you guys leave cookies out for Santa? Growing up, we celebrated Christmas, but we didn’t really do the whole Santa thing. The presents under the tree were from my parents and various aunties and uncles. Santa was the man in the red suit at the mall that we took pictures with, but I didn’t know anything else about him. It wasn’t until I went to preschool that I realized that Santa was supposed to come down the chimney, eat your milk and cookies, and bring you a present on Christmas morning.

Once I figured that out, I decided I wanted to leave Santa a plate of milk and cookies. My mom, being the pragmatic lady she is, said, a resounding, “no.” “Santa’s never brought you a present before, what makes you think leaving out milk and cookies is going to get you a present now?” Logic was never my strong suit (still isn’t!) and I was insistent that the missing puzzle piece was the plate of milk and cookies. I just knew that if I left a treat out for Santa, I’d wake up to an even bigger pile of presents come Christmas morning.

Because I was so insistent, my mom decided that all the cookies were going on the top shelf, out of reach. The lack cookies didn’t stop me though: instead of setting up a mom-sanctioned plate of milk and cookies beside our fireplace, I took matters into my own hands.

In the midst of our annual Christmas eve party hubbub, I took a pack of instant noodles and hid it under my covers. Yes, a pack of instant noodles – Sapporo Ichiban chicken flavour, in case you were wondering. Now that I think about it, there were lots of cookies at the party that I could have saved for Santa. But at the time, the instant noodles made the most sense. I mean, I love instant noodles, surely Santa would too, right?

After everyone went home and my parents were fast asleep, I snuck out of bed to look at the lights on the tree. I put my pack of instant noodles by the chimney, and went to bed. The next morning, lo and behold, my pack of instant noodles was open, the noodles missing and a giant present was under the tree: To: Stephanie, Love: Santa. Best. Christmas. Ever.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe via Not Without Salt*
makes 12-18 cookies

• 1 stick butter (4 oz)
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound dark chocolate féves or 1/2 pound dark chocolate cut into rough 1/2 inch chunks
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 360°F.

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (5 minutes on medium speed if using a mixer). While the butter and sugar is creaming, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the egg and vanilla to the butter-sugar and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix, with a spatula, until barely combined. Fold in the chocolate. Portion the cookies out onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the flaky salt and bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers are gooey. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and enjoy warm!

Note: Ashley also sells the cookie mix (as you can tell from my photos!) It’s completely awesome – the best cookie from a mix that I’ve ever made.

Hope your Christmas is a magical one!
xoxo Steph

bakingchocolatechristmascookiessea salt