Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies (And Chocolate Chip Baking Tips)

The Best Super Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever Recipes. Plus some baking tips for the perfect chocolate chip cookies!

Is there anything better than a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie baked to perfection?? 

Yes, actually there is something better.....

A decadent chocolate chip cookie made with chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.

Two kinds of chocolate, one amazing perfect chocolate chip cookie!!

I have gathered the best chocolate chunk chip cookie recipes that I think you'll love. But first, check out these best tips from cookie-baking experts!!

For the record, I am not a cookie baker expert. I am a cookie eater and lover of all things chocolate, but I am more of a recipe finder and trier (is that a word?) and sharer of recipes I try and love.

Whew. That was a long sentence😌.

With that said, check out these baking tips for the best-ever chocolate chip cookies!!

Secrets For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!

Chocolate 

Everyone with experience cultivating the best chocolate chip cookie recipes agrees that chocolate is the most important part of chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate used in chocolate chip cookie recipes affects the taste and texture of cookies, as well as how cookies look when they come out of the oven.

So what are the best types of chocolate to use for chocolate chip cookies?

According to baking experts, semi-chocolate chips or dark chocolate are the best chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookie recipes. 

And the consensus seems to be that the best chocolate for chocolate chip cookies is dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids. 

The bitterness of dark chocolate balances out perfectly with the sweetness of the cookie dough, creating the best-ever chocolate chip cookies.

And the best chocolate for chocolate chunk cookies? Definitely use semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks. With a combination of chocolate, you get the best-tasting perfect chocolate chip cookies ever!! 

Also, try to use high-quality dark chocolate like Ghirardelli, and chop the chocolate bar into chunks.

Butter: Salted or Unsalted ??

Who knew this was a thing when making chocolate chip cookies? 

Anyway, I will say the overwhelming opinion on using salted or unsalted butter in chocolate chip cookie recipes is......

Unsalted Butter. 

Specifically a good quality cream unsalted butter. But I have to be fair and say that there were also recommendations for salted butter. So in the end, maybe just go with what you have on hand already?? 

Vanilla

Always try to use quality vanilla, no skimping on it if you want the best-tasting chocolate chip cookies ever!!

Measure Flour Carefully

I came across this particular baking tip a lot. It is very important to weigh flour perfectly to help make sure cookies turn out perfect after baking. Too much flour will give you dry cookies.

If you have a food scale, then it is worth the extra step to weigh the flour. And if you don't have a food scale, then carefully spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge.

Lastly, Don't Over Bake!

When you think it is almost time to take the cookies out of the oven, but you want to give them a couple more minutes, that is precisely when you should take them out of the oven.

The cookies should be golden brown around the edges, and the middle of the cookies should look pale and undercooked still. They should also be a bit puffed up, not flat, when you take them out.

Cookies will continue baking a bit after you take them out, and the centers will get nice and gooey. As the cookies cool off, they will also flatten out.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Chunky Cookie Recipes!!

1. Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Photo: Bless This Mess Please

These bakery-style chocolate chip chunky cookies are everything you could ask for and more in a chocolate chip cookie!

For this recipe, you chill the cookie dough in this recipe for 24 hours before baking. This lets the sugar and flour absorb into the dough, balances out the taste, and lets the butter solidify which helps the cookies flatten out. 

And best of all, this chocolate chip cookie recipe uses a combination of milk chocolate chunks and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. 

2.  Chocolate Chip Chunk Cookies

Photo: Averie Cooks

The gooey melty chocolate in these perfect chocolate chip cookies made from scratch says it all.  

All that chocolate bliss comes from mixing both Bittersweet Chocolate and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips into the dough. 

3. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies With Chocolate Chunks ( Just Skip The Chocolate Chips!)

Photo: Tasty

The secret to making these decadent chocolate chip cookies is to only use chocolate chunks. Yep, skip the chips in this chocolate chip cookie recipe! 

Instead, use two kinds of chocolate chunks (because we need that chocolaty goodness😁)

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Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! Here is the winning number drawn by random.org:

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Kindercare's Winter Camp

While my second grader is happily gearing up for his winter break from school, I am mentally preparing myself for that final hectic week before Christmas day arrives, when I will be dealing with last minute shopping, gift wrapping, baking, tree-decorating,, etc., while trying to keep two very energetic little boys entertained. Not to mention I will still need to accomplish a few work-oriented deadlines. Sound familiar? The thought of trying to keep my munchkin boys from complaining about being bored, jumping off my couches, begging to go to the park, deciding they are starving to death every 15 minutes, and fighting over toys neither one has cared about for months is terrifying making me slightly anxious.

So yep, I am considering doing something I have not done before.

Sending my boys to winter camp.

(Seriously now, what did you think I meant??)

KinderCare is proud to announce that this year's Winter Camp is believed to be the best yet! Combining fun and learning, KinderCare offers programs that kids think are cool and parents know are smart - they balance loads of fun with a healthy dose of learning.

From December 19th - December 23rd and December 27th - December 30th, both preschool and school-age children can participate in KinderCare's Winter Camp. Children will explore the science of chemical reactions and learn about the magic of flight through educational and hands-on themed activities, including "Bubble Trouble," "Volcano Blast," "Helicopter Propellers," and "Balloon Rockets."

So if you are like me and are wondering how you will entertain your kids while you finish Christmas shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, decorating and still trying to work, take a minute to check out KinderCare's winter camp-it just might be a perfect solution! For more information and to find a KinderCare camp near you visit http://www.kindercare.com. 

**And be sure to check out some cool science experiments to do at-home by logging onto www.kindercare.com/camps!**

KinderCare supplied information for my review, courtesy of MomSelect. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions stated are mine.