This is an old recipe from Top Chef. Erika was one of the contestants, and at one point she made Chocolate Chunk Cookies for the show. The recipe is pretty basic, but the cookies are great. All of the old links to the original recipe were changed to Top Chef episodes, so this is the only version of the recipe we have to go by now.
Cookies Bake at 345F
Bravo put Erika’s recipe on their website (gone now) and it’s written the way someone might scratch something down on a recipe card. She doesn’t put the size of the scoops, whether the butter is unsalted or salted, the weight of the flour, the temperature of the butter or how long to bake the cookies, but she was detailed enough to say “345” as the temperature, which is interesting. I baked the cookies at 345 and 350 and didn’t get much of a difference, but 345 makes the recipe unique so we’ll stick with it.
Oh, and remember that shot where she was kind of kneading the dough? Well, I think it was for cinematic appeal or else she was just trying to incorporate the chips into a huge amount of dough, but not really kneading it at all. I tried kneading some of the dough before baking and the dough that I’d handled roughly spread more. The best cookies were the ones that I mixed gently (as usual). I also got a much nicer looking cookie when I used dough with rough, raggedy edges as opposed to smooth.
Despite the butter mystery (I went with unsalted and increased the salt to ½ teaspoon because I knew it wouldn’t hurt), I think the cookies turned out like Erika’s or at least good enough that I’d definitely make this recipe again. Whatever ratios she used are on the money.
Here’s a link to Erika’s Top Chef Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe on Top Chef. Below is the method I used for making the cookies.
Top Chef Chocolate Chunk Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter, cool room temp (228 grams)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
¾ cup light or dark brown sugar (150 grams)
½ teaspoon vanilla (feel free to use more)
2 large eggs
¼ tsp salt ( I used ½)
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (11.45 oz) or (322 grams)
1 ½ c chocolate chips (Ghirardelli bittersweet chips)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F.
In bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cool butter until it is creamy. Beat in the sugar and brown sugar and cream for about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the vanilla and the eggs and beat just until eggs are incorporated, being careful not to beat a lot of air into the batter. I did this partially with the paddle and partially with my spatula scraper.
With mixer still on low, add the salt and the baking soda and scrape bowl. Add the baking powder and stir until it’s mixed in, then add the flour gradually until it’s incorporated, being careful not to over beat. Stir in the chocolate and the walnuts.
Scoop the batter into raggedy balls using a quarter cup size measure. Make sure they’re rough and not smooth. To be safe, you can gently shape large balls, pull them in half, then put the raggedy split sides up (and old trick from Cooks Illustrated). Put them on a plate in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours.
Bake the dough. Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F.
Arrange 8 dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cookies appear set. Let them cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack.
Makes 16-18 cookies
Docksider says
I'm making a second batch. First ones went too fast. These are better (IMHO) than some other chocolate chips because they are not too sweet and not too hard.
I did not chill before cooking.
Ester says
Yummy! they look really good.
Jennifer JW says
Anna,
I made these last night too, following the recipe from bravo (which left a bit to be desired, directions-wise.) I followed the same basic technique that you did, including toasting the walnuts.
They came out good and we enjoyed them, but I must say I still think it's odd that the judges were so over the top in their praise. It made me wonder if the other contestant's items were mainly really bad?
Jennifer
Tanis says
I did make these. Very good, but all of the same flavors as a typical Tollhouse choc chip cookie, so they were not really unique except for their size. I don't typically make them so large, so that was different, and the addition of wonderfully toasted walnuts was very nice. I had to cook mine for 17-18 minutes instead of 15 tho.
Anna says
TG, I think the baking powder did a little something here. Plus, the recipe has more flour to make the cookies sturdier. For some reason, I think a lot of this cookie's success lies in the technique. That is, not over-creaming, making the cookies large (making them small would give a whole different, probably cakier texture) and definitely adding the walnuts.
TG says
i don't have the tollhouse in front of me but ... i don't see anything unique about this recipe. i thought the judge [who annoyed me] was just larding it on, IE, oh these cookies are so good i must have the recipe
Ethan says
Thanks for the post! Could you give the measures in "grams" as well? Thank you!
Jess says
I just watched this episode this morning on DVR and I must make those cookies!
C L says
Definitely going to make a batch of Erika's cookies. I am in charge of the "cookie booth" at the neighborhood Harvest Festival this year, and wasn't going to make CCCs to give away, but these are beginning to change my mind. 😉
LimeCake says
so many CCC recipes, so little time! these cookies look really good, Anna!
the blissful baker says
these cookies look so yummy! too bad its almost bedtime, or i'd make them right now!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
You can't have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes- this sounds yummy. I love trying new ones!
Janice says
Anna,
Hi
I'm on the island. Does Fuzz still love monkeys? Anyhow, do you think it's the altering the Tollhouse recipe with the addition of baking powder,less flour,fewer chips or bake temp that make for a substantially different cookie? When I first looked at the pic I thought it would be closer to Deryl Bear not Tollhouse. Mind I'm looking at thus on my phone ;-). I'd be baking these in a heartbeat but for lack of an oven. BTW those pumpkin brownies look awesome!
Sue says
Thanks for finding this and posting it. They look like winners!
Holly says
I'm so glad you found this recipe and posted it! After watching that episode of Just Desserts, I was thinking about how much I would love to try Erika's cookie recipe - especially after they were requested by the guest judge. Thanks!
Jess @ Bakericious says
the cookies look very delicious, I am going to bake it too. Thanks for sharing.
robin says
oh yay -- i'm sooooo happy you made these!!! i was hoping they would post her recipe on bravotv.com. i will DEFINITELY be making these very, very soon!!! 🙂
Katrina says
Yum. I'll be trying these. The little indiscretions are probably to protect her for giving the exact recipe. They look great.