Let’s talk about that ubiquitous cookie you’ve made countless times. Either you’ve committed yourself to a recipe that you turn to time and again, or you jump from one recipe to another in search of something greater, better, tastier. Perhaps the key to flavor doesn’t lie in the ingredients but in the method. Here I take a standard chocolate chip cookie and find a way to make it just a little more extraordinary.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• 1 cup softened coconut oil (or sub softened margarine or butter)
• ³⁄₄ cup brown sugar, preferably dark
• ¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ tsp sea salt
• 2¹⁄₄ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1¹⁄₂ cups mini chocolate chips or 2 cups regular chocolate chips

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the coconut oil and sugars until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and stir to combine. Add vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix well, making sure there are no lumps. Add flour and mix until just combined. (We don’t want to form too much gluten to ensure soft cookies.) Slowly fold in the chocolate chips.

Method 1: Bake Now

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches (7¹⁄₂ cm) apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes or until the edges brown and the cookies puff.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. The cookies will collapse. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy.

Method 2: Chill for Up to 72 Hours

You don’t have to wait three days to enjoy cookies but chilling the dough for at least two hours and up to three days deepens the flavor and makes a denser, chewier cookie. Just like marinating meat, the longer you let the flavors develop, the more flavor you’ll get.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to three days. The dough will dehydrate and be more difficult to scoop. Allow it to come to room temperature again for easier scooping. Alternately, roll the cookie dough between your palms to warm it. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place cookie dough onto a baking sheet 3 inches (7¹⁄₂ cm) apart. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the edges brown and the cookies puff. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. The cookies will collapse. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy.

My Verdict

Chilling the dough for as little as two hours deepens the flavors and gives you a more caramel flavor. That flavor is more pronounced the longer you let it chill. It also helps the cookie spread less, which means they’re denser and chewier. But I know it can be difficult to wait when you need a cookie now. You can bake a few right away and chill the rest for the next day. A worthwhile win.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 715)