Hot take: I am not crazy for the Toll House cookie recipe. Now before you tell me I’m wrong, I need to ask what seasoned baker follows the Toll House recipe to a tee? Yeah, me neither, and when I was first learning to bake that recipe led me to a LOT of failed cookies. I wanted to find a recipe that was more beginner-friendly and could help ensure that the flour ratios weren’t as drastically off as they are in the Toll House recipe. So that is what I am sharing with you all!
Whenever I think of chocolate chip cookies, I think of the episode of Friends where Phoebe and Monica try to figure out how to recreate Phoebe’s late grandma’s scrumptious cookies. I almost named these cookies “Not Grandma Toulouse’s Cookies” because of that, but then I felt like no one would ever find them since the name was so obscure.
A quick note about the baking soda: The idea to activate it with hot water before you bake it came from a recipe I found one day a few years back that I have not been able to find yet to give credit. In any case, it is not my idea, but the texture of these cookies is so good that I have not been able to argue with it, so for once we’ll keep the extra step.
While the Toll House recipe is a classic, I believe that these are better. I have notes and tips for new and seasoned bakers to make their chocolate chip cookies the best they can be, so be sure to look over them! Even if you decide that your heart truly lies with the old standby Toll House recipe, the notes will help you perfect how you execute it so that you get the best cookies every time!
Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 full sticks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda * see notes
- 2 tsp hot water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt (You can just do a literal pinch of salt for this one)
- 2¼ cups flour * see notes
- 1 cup oats
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs until the mixture looks light in color and runny.
- Dissolve the baking soda in hot water. Let cool while you add the vanilla to the egg-sugar mixture.
- Add the baking soda mixture and salt.
- Stir in flour (and oats if you want them) 1 cup at a time until combined. Then add chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool in pan for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Honestly, I just measure out the water and baking soda and then microwave it for about 15 seconds. Why waste time and water waiting for your faucet to heat up?
- You may need to adjust your flour ratios. I usually add about 1/4 cup more, but sometimes it can be a little more or less than that.
- Tip: Try scooping one cookie onto the sheet and baking it to see if there is enough flour. If the cookies are runny, add more flour and repeat the tester cookie until you have a good texture. It takes a little extra time but ensures you don’t waste a dozen or two on runny cookies.
- Are you wondering why your cookies are not as good as your friend’s when you used the same recipe? It’s probably your vanilla. Many vanilla extracts have a nasty flavor that overpowers the vanilla essence. I recommend homemade or Mexican vanilla. Trust me, you will taste the difference.
Leave a Reply