Perfecting the classic chocolate chip cookie has been an ongoing side-project of mine for most of my life. I find it so intriguing that most people think of it as the easiest cookie to make, yet to get the perfect chocolate chip cookie is not easy at all. In fact, getting all the delicious components to shine, but not overshadow, is a very complex process. The cookie should be crisp on the edges, but still chewy in the center. It should be sinfully sweet, yet balanced by deep notes of caramel and toffee. It should be perfect. Like these ..
And the most important step? Browning half the butter. In doing this, you’re giving your cookies chewiness and a nutty flavor that will knock your socks off. You can also try letting the sugar stand in the butter a bit longer before adding the dry ingredients. This will allow more sugar to dissolve, creating more caramelization during baking and, more importantly, it gives your cookie that classic crisp you look for in every bite.
Check out Cook’s Illustrated’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe for all the details. If you’re not a member, this recipe is pretty close. I’ve added a few twists of my own (milk chocolate chips!), but they’ve got the basics nailed down just “perfectly.”
In a world of prepackaged EVERYTHING, it’s hard to believe that there is still a group of people willing to wait ten days for great bread. I am one of those people. 
