I don’t want to make any sweeping generalizations or anything, but I think I’ve found the most popular cookie recipe. I’ve made these Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt a handful of times in the past few months and every time I bring them into work, they’re polished off in no time at all. Co-workers travel far and wide (at least as far and as wide as you can get with 3 floors) to get their hands on these tasty treats.

There are a lot of chocolate chip cookies out there and I always prefer the homemade variety. I think a lot of fancy, hoity-toity bakery chocolate chip cookies are over-praised and over-fatty. The chocolate chip cookie is classic, iconic, and accessible. Its very essence is one of homeyness. When I get a monster chocolate chip cookie from any bakery I’m usually disappointed (note: I still eat chocolate chip cookies from bakeries…I just know there’s better out there, ok?). Maybe this is because my mother makes many fantastic cookies, chocolate chip among them. She’s truly talented and I’m lucky to have learned from her. But I don’t think I alone am spoiled by great homemade cookies. In fact, I’m here today to make sure of that.

What I love about this recipe is that it elevates the chocolate chip cookie by using three different sugars and finishing it with Maldon sea salt while still retaining the simplicity of it. It’s easy enough for anyone to follow and the results are magical. I haven’t tried them without the sea salt (because why would I? Maldon is the best), but I suspect they would still be amazing. I did find one person at work picking the salt off like a monkey picking off fleas (you know who you are), so we can at least take that person’s word that the salt isn’t necessary if you truly object to it.

Logistically, it’s important to use room temperature butter or else you’ll never be able to cream it with your sugar, but I suspect most of you know that by now. I’m just tryna look out for y’all, though! They say you should use room temperature eggs as well. That’s not as big of a deal. If you happen to remember to take your eggs out when you take out your butter, go for it, but don’t panic if you have to use cold eggs. You’ll be fine.

Each time I’ve made this recipe, I’ve used a different combination of chocolate. I like using a dark chocolate here because I think it goes well with the salt. Sometimes, like in this particular batch, I use half 70% cocoa and half semi-sweet chocolate chips. Other times, I use dark chocolate chips or use all semi-sweet. It depends on what I have on hand. Use whatever you want!

Finally, I always double this recipe. That’s how popular these cookies are. If I were to show up to work with only twenty four cookies, the situation would be dire indeed. Although, to be honest, I double most cookie recipes. I like feeding people so that they like me.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

recipe from Bon Appétit

Yields: about 48 cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ (packed) brown sugar, either light or dark

1 cup sugar

½ cup powdered sugar

4 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

16 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Maldon sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and all three sugars together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, whole eggs, and vanilla. Beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients little by little, until just combined. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate.
4. OPTIONAL: Refrigerate the dough anywhere from an hour to overnight.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. On two lined baking sheets, spoon round tablespoons of cookie dough about an inch apart from each other. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt.
7. Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets halfway through, until just golden brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
8. Let cool for a minute or two on the baking sheets, before moving them to finish cooling on wire racks.
9. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk.