Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe that I’ve baked dozens of times. It yields the perfect cookies in my opinion because the edges are slightly crisp, the center is pillowy soft yet chewy, and the warm pools of chocolate exquisitely collapse in your mouth in every single bite.

These are not enough reasons to call them perfect. The complexity of the textures are enhanced by the rich layering of flavors that will delight you – like the nuttiness of the brown butter, the slight earthiness of the rosemary herb, the toffee-like flavor of the soft brown sugar, and the luxurious mix of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, all aged together for 48 hours before baking. Swoon!

I guarantee you that they will satisfy all of your sweet cravings and make everyone beg you for more!

Recipe adapted from Hand Made Baking

240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
90g (3/4 cup) bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
200g (1 cup) packed light brown sugar
100g (1/2 cup) demerara or turbinado sugar
226g (2 sticks; 1 cup) cold butter, cut into cubes
2 large fresh sprigs of rosemary (about 5 inches/12cm each)
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
150g chopped semisweet dark chocolate
150g chopped bittersweet dark chocolate

Note: Semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are both considered dark chocolate since they both contain at least 35% of cocoa. The difference comes in the amount of sugar: semisweet chocolate contains about 50% sugar, vs. bittersweet chocolate contains 33% sugar. Check the Nutrition Facts labels to learn more about the level of sweetness of the chocolate.

1. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter with the rosemary until it’s just melted. Take off the heat and set aside to let the rosemary flavor infuse in the butter for a few minutes until it cools down.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Put the brown sugar and turbinado sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour the melted butter through a strainer into the bowl of sugar and mix on low speed until a smooth paste for about a minute.
5. Add the egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla then mix on low speed for another minute until well combined. Scrape the bowl and test the mixture with your fingers to see if it’s at room temperature.
6. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture until just incorporated. Turn off the mixture and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Stir in the chopped chocolate with a wooden spoon or spatula.
7. With a medium ice cream scoop portion out the cookie dough (about two tablespoons each) onto the baking sheet spaced 2in/5cm apart. Put the baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour (or up to 48 hours). You can also freeze the portioned cookie dough at this point*.
8. Place a rack into the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F/190°C.
9. Once the dough is chilled, bake one sheet at a time for 11 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges and their tops are blushed with gold; do not overbake!
10. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

*To bake frozen cookie dough, take out the dough 30 minutes before baking to thaw slightly.