Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup cold, cubed unsalted butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For chocolate chunks and topping:

• 2 Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate bars (72% dark), finely chopped and divided in half

Instructions:

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper, depending on your oven capacity. Set these aside for later use.
2. If you haven’t done so already, chop one of the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate bars into small chunks. Divide the chopped chocolate into two equal portions. You’ll use one portion in the cookie dough batter and save the other for topping the cookie dough balls.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cubed butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream these ingredients on medium-high speed until they become smooth and creamy, which should take about 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl during this process, as it’s crucial for achieving the right cookie texture.
4. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing about 30 seconds of mixing after each addition. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl each time. Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the pure vanilla extract and mix until it’s well combined.
5. Reduce the mixer’s speed to its lowest setting and gradually add both types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and the chocolate chips. Be cautious not to overmix, as this can result in dry cookies.
6. To form the cookie dough balls, use a large cookie scoop. Roll the top of each dough ball in the remaining half of the chopped Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate. If you don’t have a large cookie scoop, you can weigh out the dough into 4-ounce balls. For an attractive finishing touch, add a few chunks and chips of chocolate on top of each dough ball.
7. Place 8 dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet(s).
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops and sides of the cookies begin to turn a slight golden brown. This indicates that they are ready. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.