Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

These cookies were both humongous and unaccountably cute. I just loved the fact that they were these fat little mounds, and I may never pick up a flat cookie again. They were a big hit - lightly crisped on the outside, chewy on the inside without being too dense, and of course, PLENTY of chocolate with two cups of it stuffed inside.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups chocolate chips or 1 cup chips and 1 cup chopped chocolate (if using chopped, sift out the powdered chocolate)

1. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Measure out flour using the scoop-and-level method (should be about 120-125 grams).
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
   
4. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
   
5. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes, ideally 3 hours or longer.
6. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.