Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies By the Dozen

This recipe uses a baking technique most cookie recipes don’t bother with, and it makes all the difference. The cookies go into a hot oven at 400°F (200°C), then the temperature drops to 350°F (175°C) immediately. Halfway through, the pan reverses and the heat bumps up to 375°F (190°C). That temperature dance gives you golden, slightly crispy edges with soft, pale, underbaked-looking centers that firm up as they cool on the pan.

Using only egg yolk (no white) keeps the cookies tender and rich rather than cakey. The yolk adds fat and emulsification without the drying effect of the egg white. The batter looks crumbly when you first mix it, but push through. It comes together once you stir in the chocolate chips.

This is a small-batch recipe, just 13 cookies. No need to scale up a giant recipe when you want a quick dozen.

Pro Tips

• Position the oven rack at the highest level as specified. The top heat promotes browning on the surface while keeping the centers soft.
• When the batter looks crumbly, don’t add liquid. Keep stirring and it will come together as the butter warms and binds the dry ingredients.
• Pull the cookies when the centers still look pale and slightly underdone. They will finish cooking on the hot pan. Overbaking at this stage means crunchy cookies, not soft ones.
• Space the dough balls 2 inches apart. These spread during baking.

Variations

• Brown butter version: Brown the butter before creaming for a nuttier, more caramel-toned cookie.
• Sea salt finish: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the dough balls right before baking for a sweet-salty contrast.
• Dark chocolate: Use dark chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate for a more intense, less sweet cookie.