Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These over-sized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. This may be the BEST chocolate chip cookie ever!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 12  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
• 1  cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 (10 ounce) package  jello instant vanilla pudding
• 1  large egg
• 1  egg yolk
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter, sugar, and dry pudding mix until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are very lightly golden brown and the outer edges start to set, yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.