Chewy chocolate chip cookies even better with a sprinkling of salt

Grab a glass of milk.

These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies from Pinch of Yum are billed as “the best” soft chocolate chip cookies.

Oh, and they are. So. Darn. Good.

But, they’re even better with a pinch of sea salt on top a la Batch Bakeshop in West Central.

Inspired by Mika Maloney’s salted chocolate chip cookies – a treat I don’t often overlook when I spot them in the glass jars on the counter at Atticus Gifts and Coffee in downtown Spokane – these lovelies are buttery, chocolate-y and oh-so-satisfying.

There are so many variations for classic chocolate chip cookies out there. This one’s a keeper.

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gently adapted from Pinch of Yum

8 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 cup white or raw cane sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, and more as needed

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips and chunks

Sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it.

Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add vanilla and egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated, 10-15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff).

Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between “wet” dough and “dry” dough). Add chocolate chips and chunks, and incorporate with your hands.

Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for bigger cookies) and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. Do not overbake.

Let them cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. They will sink down and turn into these dense, buttery, soft cookies. These should stay soft for many days if kept in an airtight container. I also like to freeze them.

Yield: 12 cookies (or 9 if you make big cookies)

Note: If you find that the dough is wet and really sticky, you probably need a little more flour. This is important otherwise you’ll have flat cookies. You should be able to roll the balls of dough between your hands without any issues.