Coffeehouse Cookies

You know the giant homemade, slightly chewy chocolate chip cookies that they serve in coffee houses???? Or the ones they used to sell at the student store in jr.high/high school? Is it just me? I LOVE those cookies. So do my littles. On cold fall/winter mornings, one of our favorite things is to make a pitstop at the coffeehouse for hot chocky & giant cookies! I came across a blog the other day that had this recipe. It was a pretty normal recipe, but then they started twisting the "regular" things into other ingredients instead. It was so intriguing I HAD to try it. Plus-the kids were at school & I was feeling nostalgic. I can remember MANY days coming home from school and smelling fresh chocolate chip cookies in the air. So, with it being the first week of school, I wanted that same excitement for my munchkins.

TWIST #1-half butter & half cream cheese (we only had unsalted butter in the fridge, so I had to add a little more salt when I made these-no biggie)

TWIST#2-beat sugars, egg, butter, etc. on medium speed for 5 MINUTES! Mixture becomes light & fluffy-like frosting but not as dense.

 TWIST #3-Replace baking powder with cornstarch! I normally make vanilla pudding cookies....the kind where you add a box of instant pudding to the recipe. It makes them chewy with a nice vanilla flavor. Doing a little research, the reason pudding cookies turn out soft is because "modified food starch" is one of the first ingredients in the pudding mix! So, using cornstarch here basically serves the same purpose :)

We like to use quality HUGE MILK chocolate chips in our cookies. Go big or go home right!?

 After whipping all the ingredients together, almost FOLD in the dry ingredients & chocky.

 TWIST #4-Use a 3" cookie scoop! HOLY MOSES!!!! I fit 6 on a tray-and the recipe only made a dozen cookies! Granted, they are 12 DOUBLE SIZE cookies.

TWIST #5-Form into balls, flatten slightly with palm of your hand and REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS before baking! This ensures that they bake thick & fluffy!

These cookies did NOT disappoint! Even Mike-who prefers every cookie over chocolate chip- came in smelling the "something is freshly baking air" wanting some!

After they cooled for 5 minutes & set up a bit, they were devoured....and I am pleased to announce-they were DIVINE! I mean come on-look at that thing! One cookie is almost the size of a salad plate! I packed one in everyones lunches today. They are perfectly chewy yet not under-baked. Soooooo good!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use cream cheese in a block or spreadable, don't use fat-free, light or whipped)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used 1 cup chips and 1 1/4 cups chunks)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese (measure it by smooshing it into a 1/4-cup measure), sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Add chocolate chips and chunks, and beat momentarily to incorporate, or fold in by hand.
4. Using a medium 2 to 3-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or spray with cooking spray and place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark. They have chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
6. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.