Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was raised on the Toll House recipe, with cookies more cakey than chewy, so it was with bated breath that I tried this recipe. But I think it’s possible I’m never going back. These were delicious, and my husband devoured 5 in the first 10 minutes. The problem, for those of you who’ve read the recipe title, is that this was nearly half the batch. Nom. Nom.

I was drawn to this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe because of the smaller quantity it offers. Sometimes you just want to whip up a small batch of cookies and not have to go through halving a recipe. I was delighted that the recipe was very easy and that I was able to get through the recipe so quickly.

Most of the ingredients are kitchen staples with the exception of the espresso powder. I had a little trouble finding it, but I finally did. The cookies took 12 minutes to bake, resulting in cookies that were golden brown, gooey, oozy, and chewy right out of the oven. That is the best time to eat them.

By the time the family was done raiding the goods, there were only 2 cookies left, which had cooled down completely. I found that these cookies didn’t have the same “oomph” as those eaten warm. They seemed to dry out a bit and didn’t have that rich taste. I would definitely give these another try. I had to bake them for 12 minutes to get a golden brown color and crisp edge.

Because I’ve always wanted to make enough chocolate chip cookies for just tonight. Because using a scale means leaving the measuring cups in the cupboard. Because I only had to wash the mixing bowl and beater, the scale bowl, and a spatula (rinsing the baking sheet can wait for tomorrow). Because this small batch chocolate chip cookies recipe makes a single baking sheet of cookies dangerously fast from the pantry. These were exactly what I was looking for in a need-chocolate-chip-cookies-tonight recipe, when you don’t want to take any to work or have them in the house later that week.

Way better than those break-and-bakes, these guys sport a bitter edge from the espresso powder that gives a caramelized, browned-butter punch. These cookies emerged soft and warm from the oven and didn’t last long enough to cool down. For that reason alone, I’d come back to this recipe…not to mention because 20 minutes can really mean homemade cookies. I baked them for exactly 8 minutes. I pulled them from the oven even though they were still a little pale (but golden brown at the edges). They tasted more done than they were and were nice and soft in the middle, maybe from the shortening? After mixing, I’d scrape down the bowl. Especially when working with smaller amounts of batter, my KitchenAid tends to need extra help.

I chilled my dough during dinner and baked the cookies afterward. Instead of shaping my dough by spoonfuls, I just divided it in half, then evenly into a total of 12 pieces that I rolled into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Because there are so few cookies to make, it’s easy to eyeball this. The single baking sheet, though a bit more crowded than usual, was perfect, and none of the cookies spread enough to overlap. Not sure how well they keep or fare once cool—we inhaled them.

Nothing says “comfort food” to me more than a really good chocolate chip cookie. I’ve spent years trying to perfect a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I’ve tried just about everything—melted butter, browned butter, adding vanilla pudding mix to the dry ingredients, even making them gluten-free (which is, surprisingly, my favorite so far). But what is the secret to those delicious, soft, chewy cookies that I buy in the coffee shops and bakeries?

These cookies had a different texture than other cookies I’ve baked, although I’ve never used shortening in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, which would account for the different texture and less brown appearance. I did like the texture, which was almost like that of a soft shortbread cookie. Overall, the cookies were soft and delicious. They had a good flavor and the perfect amount of chocolate chips. I would give these cookies a thumbs up and would make them again for the taste, simplicity, and quantity.

If I wanted a quick chocolate chip cookie fix, these would fit the bill nicely. All the ingredients are pantry staples, for the most part. I used a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop and it made exactly 1 dozen small cookies. The cookies didn’t spread very much while baking, so I only needed 1 baking sheet. The cookies puffed up in the oven, but flattened out to look like more traditional cookies once they came out. I set my timer for 7 minutes but gave the cookies 9 minutes in the oven, although they could have been left in for 10. They were baked but not very brown, on either the top or the bottom. The cookies could not be moved immediately to a wire rack. They were very soft and almost fell apart when I attempted the transfer them, so I left them on the sheet for about 10 minutes, at which point they were set and I could easily move them to a rack. The cookies were flavorful, although I think increasing the salt and the instant espresso powder would have boosted the flavor a bit.

As a baker, what drew me to this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe was the yield. A perfect dozen. I find that most times when I make cookies, I get 2 to 3 dozen, when I really only need one. I said need, not want. Believe me, the more cookies there are, the higher the probability of eating more than a dozen! Especially if they’re warm, fresh from the oven, and there’s a cold glass of milk at the ready.

I tested this recipe twice. The first batch was delicious. The cookies were what I like my chocolate chip cookies to be—chewy, gooey, and not too sweet, but I found that they were a little too greasy and spread too much. They turned out more like a lace cookie rather than a bakery-style cookie. Since the flavor was definitely there, I wanted to try again. During my first batch, I found the imperial measurements and metric equivalents didn’t quite match, so I chose to follow the metric measurements. I also used lard instead of vegetable shortening. For my second batch, I followed the imperial measurements and used lard again instead of vegetable shortening. The chocolate chip cookies were DIVINE! Chewy, gooey, just the right amount of volume, and not cakey.

Definitely two thumbs up! In less time than it takes to pick up a dozen cookies from the bakery, you can get a dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies freshly baked from your oven. I dare you to eat just one!