1cup(227g)cold salted butter straight from the fridge, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1cup(212g)lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
½cup(106g)granulated sugar
2large eggs, cold from the refrigerator
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1 ¾cups(249g)all-purpose flour
1 ¼cups(143g)cake flour
½cup(50g)dark or Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder (see note)
1teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
1 ½ to 2cups(255 to 340g)semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cold butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Start the mixer on low (the butter will fly around a bit since it's cold) and gradually increase to medium speed. Mix for 4-6 minutes until the mixture is creamy and very well-combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined and the batter is light in color, 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together (and so the dry ingredients don't fly everywhere).
When just a few dry streaks remain, add the chocolate chips or chunk and mix just until combined and there are no dry spots.
Scoop very large balls of dough (about 4-4.25 ounces for each cookie) and place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (five cookies per half sheet pan).
Bake for 9-10 minutes until set on the outside but still soft in the middle. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets to cool for 5-7 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. These cookies are amazing warm (with ice cream), chilled, or at room temperature.
Notes
Update: I've updated this recipe recently so it's even more foolproof against flattening cookies (and I also made them a bit more chocolate-y). If you're looking for the original amounts, they are 1 1/2 cups flour (213 g), 1 cup cake flour (114 g), and 43 grams cocoa powder. If you want the cookies even thicker/puffier, increase the flour by another 1/4 cup.Flour: if you are measuring with cups and not using a scale to weigh the dry ingredients, make sure to fluff up the flours and cocoa powder before measuring. I fluff, scoop, and level. Cocoa: I used Hershey's special dark cocoa for this recipe. I highly recommend a dark/Dutch-process cocoa. Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder will work, as well, but the cookies won't be quite as rich and dark - also you may find the cookies spread less when using natural cocoa powder. Butter and Eggs: it's important that the butter and eggs be cold (counterintuitive to most cookie recipes, I know). Just go with it. It takes a while for the butter and sugars to mix together, but it'll happen. It's also a reason a stand mixer is best for this recipe.Tutorial: here's a quick tutorial on making your own cake flour. If using cup measures (instead of weighing the ingredients), don't pack the flour (cake or all-purpose) into the measuring cup. Fluff the flour, scoop in the cup gently and level off.