For almost every lunch meeting at work we cater in Panera. I know, sounds rough. And because the company pays we almost always get dessert. There is usually a mix of fudge brownies and the giant chocolate chip cookies.
I always justify the cookie because I "only" had a salad for lunch. PS - I love the Fiji Apple Chicken Salad and the summer salad with strawberries and blue berries. So good.
But these chocolate chip cookies. They are always the same and always amazing. They are packed with mini chocolate chips with a crispy edge but a buttery center.
I had to recreate the magic. And pretty sure this recipe does the trick! The consistency and taste is almost identical. I should do a side-by-side taste test...that would be fun.
So excited about this one! You must try it. And, if you're not familiar with Panera I promise you'll still love these giant chocolate chip cookies!
Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (MUST be dark brown sugar)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces mini semisweet chocolate chips (MUST be mini chips)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, dark brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy (couple minutes). With mixer on low, add in the vanilla extract and eggs. Mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until blended. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Drop dough onto lined cookie sheet. These are BIG cookies - I used my medium cookie scoop and did 2 scoops per cookie (3 tablespoons of dough each cookie). Flatten the dough slightly so they look a little like hockey pucks. Freeze for 15 minutes so they keep their shape while baking.
Once cookies are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After 15 minutes, bake cookies. Bake only 6 cookies at a time. Leave remaining cookie dough in the freezer until ready for next batch. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and still soft in the middle. They will cook a little more once removed from the oven.
Let cookies set on the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Makes 24, 4 inch diameter cookies.
Pro Tip: One you'd had your fill of giant chocolate chip cookies, freeze the leftovers. When you're ready for a snack take one out of the freezer and microwave for 10-20 seconds. #genius
Source: Delish
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