Secrets to Making the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

When you hear the words "chocolate chip cookies," what is the first
thing that comes into your head? Moist, chewy, and delicious? Fresh
out of the oven with a glass of cold milk? Everyone loves chocolate
chip cookies. The people who perfected the best known recipe in the
country, Nestle, have generously printed their recipe on the back of
chocolate chips bags for decades. If you want to find out how to bake
world-class Toll House Cookies, read on.The Toll House Recipe from
Nestle is the best recipe to follow, you can find it online at several
different websites. After you've had a chance to peruse the ingredient
list and methods, discover some tested tricks that will allow you to
get the best results.Tricks and Tips� Use non-stick cookie sheets.
These are Teflon-coated and will ensure that your cookies don't stick.
You can also use a SilPat silicone mat (found at kitchen stores) that
will allow to slide off any cookie sheet.� All ovens are different.
Don't rely on 9-11 minutes before you check on your cookies. When
cookies have spread out in the oven and start to puff up, it's time to
take them out. If you wait until you see a hard, crusted surface,
you've baked them too long. Take your cookies out a few minutes sooner
than you think you should. This will allow for the fact that chocolate
chip cookies harden as they cool.� Don't use melted butter in place of
softened butter that the recipe calls for. Melted butter will prevent
your cookies from solidifying properly. Then you'll be tempted to cook
them longer and they'll become rock hard. You really should leave your
butter out on the counter for at least an hour so it will soften on
its own.� Use the best vanilla you can find. Most vanilla extracts are
largely alcohol with a little flavoring. Spend a little more to get an
extract that contains a high percentage of vanilla bean and flavor as
opposed to alcohol. The gourmet stores all carry excellent vanilla
that will make a real difference in the taste of your gourmet
cookies.� Use fresh nuts and chips. Using stale nuts that expired last
year will make for stale cookies. And that stale taste will permeate
the entire batter. There's no excuse for using anything but the
freshest ingredients.� Don't substitute wheat flour for white that's
called for. Wheat just doesn't make for the same type of chocolate
chip cookie that this recipe aims for. There's nothing wrong with
making whole wheat cookies. Just look for a recipe that allows you to
accommodate for wheat flour.