Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 12 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 24 Servings

Okay, here goes: My favorite holiday cookie is a classic chocolate chip cookie. Yes, chocolate chip cookies. A decidedly non-holiday cookie. But hear me out! Most holiday cookie recipes are fussier than I would like during this busy time. Many holiday cookies, especially the kind that need to be rolled out and stamped into shapes, need to be chilled before baking. That’s a lot of time spent waiting for a cookie to come together! AND you still need to bake and decorate them, too.

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted or browned butter, slightly cooled
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces (60 to 70% cacao) dark chocolate feves (1 1/4 cups, NOT chips), or a high-quality chocolate dark chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for garnish

Instructions

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, the spices (if using), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda together in a medium bowl.
Place 1 stick melted or browned unsalted butter, 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until just combined. Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds more. Increase the speed to medium-low, add 8 ounces chocolate all at once, and beat until evenly distributed throughout, about 1 minute.
Use a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls, placing them at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey, about 10 minutes. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Immediately sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bake the remaining dough or freeze it to bake later. Serve the cookies warm or at room temperature.