Four Secrets to Baking the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Who doesn't just love the taste of warm Chocolate Chip cookies fresh out of the oven? The next time you'd like to whip up a batch using your favorite cookie recipe, try these four little secrets that will put your cookies over the top in taste.

1. Use Fresh European Butter: Butter is the one of the key ingredients to baking really successful cookies. Never use butter substitutes, they really aren't the same as far as taste goes. European butter has a little more butterfat than regular butter which will give your cookies a richer, more creamier taste. If you can't find European butter, than just make sure you use good quality, fresh butter. Always check the date of your butter that's been sitting in the fridge. If your butter tastes stale, so will your cookies.

Cookie Bake

2. Melt the butter. When the cookie recipe calls for softened butter, I always melt mine in the microwave for about 15 seconds and let it cool just a bit before I add it to the sugar. Because melted butter is both warm and a liquid, it does a much better job of dissolving the sugar while improving the texture of the cookies after they are baked.

3. Add Extra Vanilla: I usually double or even triple the amount of vanilla that a typical recipe calls for (which is usually a teaspoon or 1 1/2 teaspoons) but I usually don't add more than a tablespoon total. Always use pure vanilla extract too, not the imitation vanilla extract. It does cost a little extra but it's so worth it.

4. Find that perfect baking time. When you put your first batch in, take them out at the lower end of the recommended baking time. Cookies will continue to bake when you take the out of the oven, so it's best to remove them earlier than later. You can always cook the next batch for a minute or two longer if you like them a little more golden around the edges. Once you have that "perfect baking time" write it down on your recipe card for future cookie baking.

Use these tips for your other favorite drop cookie recipes as well. Enjoy!

Four Secrets to Baking the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Leah is a full-time working mom. She loves cooking and baking, playing tennis and most of all spending time with her family and her German Shepherd Dogs. Please visit her other site about safe car travel with dogs using travel gear such as a dog car harness or dog car seats that could save your dogs life.

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