Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies + Thick and Chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe taken and adapted from here

The next recipe on my chocolate chip mission I wanted to try was for a thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I'm not sure why I'm craving a thick or chewy cookie since I usually avoid those but boy did I want one. I went to do groceries yesterday, and I was considering buying those Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I figured why would I buy a box full of preservatives and fat, if I could make a chocolate chip perfectly myself, and also tweak it a little bit as well.

This recipe definitely delivered what I sought out for. It had perfectly brown edges, with a soft perfectly chewy interior, with a subtle hint of nutty flavour, and a PERFECT amount of saltiness. I tried this cookie after about ten minutes. First I tried with the way I tweaked it and that was with a hidden gem inside... banana. I decided NOT to mash the banana into the batter, but instead cut the banana into slices and put the slices inside the balls of dough. This was such a perfect mix. This added an even extra sweetness that was so perfect to the cookie. It tasted like fresh banana bread without the bread. I loved this. I see people putting cookie dough inside of cookie dough, chocolate brownies, kisses, chocolate bars and all sorts of things inside of a cookie batter but the banana that was just the icing on the cake, it was divine. I had this cookie ten minutes after it had been sitting on my cooling rack, to be perfectly honest, I was delighted with the cookie, it was a nice golden brown, and very soft, the way I usually go for my cookies, but it wasn't what I was looking for. However, when I had let the cookies sit for 20 minutes plus, they hardened and seriously were such a perfect cookie. They were beautifully golden brown, hard, salty, sweet, soft on the inside, just perfect. This was definitely a great way to start my chocolate chip cookie hunt, too good of a start to be honest. Now I already have two winning cookies of what I think are amazing cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 tbsp white sugar
• 6 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chunks or chips
• 1 banana, sliced - this is only for the chocolate chip banana cookies though

Directions:

Note: this batter is incredibly sticky and almost seems like there is something wrong with it, but work with it, there is nothing wrong with it!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat for a few more seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts into a small bowl and stir into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets.

For the banana chocolate chips, take one slice of banana and form the cookie dough AROUND the banana.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (I let mine bake for ten minutes).