I would say David Leibovitz's salted choc chip cookie, without nuts and I'm still looking for the brownies!
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/08/salted-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/
Tried Mrs. Larkin's Chubby Chocolate Chip Cookies at The Westchester shopping center Sonoma Williams Local Artisan Showcase. She'll be back in January!! If you are in driving distance, don't bother to bake them, these are incredible and available.... also sold at Pound Ridge Farmer's Market and a few other places in Pound Ridge.
My Friend has begun to learn how to cook since we connected and prefers to excel at a very few items. Two of those items are chocolate chip cookies and brownies. He religiously follows the NY Times recipe posted by The Spiced Life, and the classic brownie recipe in Cook's Illustrated and gets rave reviews every time. The other items, incidentally: Thin, crisp, minimalist pizzas, coffee ice cream with Oreos. pie crust and waffles.
America's Test Kitchen has something called The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and I can attest that it's damn near perfect! I bake them a little longer than the recipe calls for because I like a crisper cookie, but they are fabulous any way you make them, although they are a little more work than most recipes.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
1¾ C unbleached all-purpose flour (8¾ oz)
½ t. baking soda
14 T unsalted butter (1¾ sticks)
½ C granulated sugar (3½ oz)
¾ C packed dark brown sugar (5¼ oz)
1 t table salt
2 t vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ C semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
¾ C chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees; adjust rack to middle of oven. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment.
1. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 T butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 T butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg & egg yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking twice more until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.
4. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
5. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 T (or #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.
6. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft, 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking (I bake them for 17 minutes, rotating the sheet at 8½ minutes, but I like a crisper cookie)
7. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving. Makes 16 cookies.
I will attest to the deliciousness of the brownies boulangere suggested, they are amazing and this chocolate chip cookie recipe from mrslarkin is the best ever
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9209_chubby_chewy_chocolate_chip_cookies
9 Comments
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/08/salted-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/
http://thespicedlife.com/2012/10/pistachio-and-dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html
http://thespicedlife.com/2012/10/salted-browned-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html
And the NY Times recipe of course:
http://thespicedlife.com/2008/07/move-over-bill-yosses-ive-got-a-new-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
Voted the Best Reply!
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
1¾ C unbleached all-purpose flour (8¾ oz)
½ t. baking soda
14 T unsalted butter (1¾ sticks)
½ C granulated sugar (3½ oz)
¾ C packed dark brown sugar (5¼ oz)
1 t table salt
2 t vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ C semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
¾ C chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees; adjust rack to middle of oven. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment.
1. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 T butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 T butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg & egg yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking twice more until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.
4. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
5. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 T (or #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.
6. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft, 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking (I bake them for 17 minutes, rotating the sheet at 8½ minutes, but I like a crisper cookie)
7. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving. Makes 16 cookies.
http://www.bakersroyale.com/cookies/cooksillustrated-percfect-chocolate-chip-cookie/#more-584
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9209_chubby_chewy_chocolate_chip_cookies
http://www.food52.com/recipes/12221_chocolate_to_the_power_of_4_brownies_with_a_healthy_option