When life gives you lemons (or maybe butter), make the Gaines family's favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Chip and Joanna Gaines, with their five kids, ages 1 to 15, have found some fun ways to stay sane and savor the extra — albeit mandated — family bonding during this unprecedented time.
Stationed in her home kitchen, Joanna Gaines whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies from her first cookbook, "Magnolia Table," catered to the preferences of her little ones.
"With life looking quite a bit different than we’re all used to, our @magnolia family is looking for ways to focus on how we can make the most of our time spent at home, because honestly there's no better place to be right now — and in the midst of all that's going on, we believe that there is room for connection, creativity, laughter, and inspiration," Gaines wrote on her Instagram.
In the cooking demo, filmed by the Gaines' eldest son, Drake, 15, Gaines dished up some secrets to getting the cookies just right — that is, equal parts chewy and fluffy.
And it's all about the butter.
"Typically butter makes for a flatter cookie. I use real butter and I don't soften it completely, like overnight," she explained. "I like it to be a little bit chilled still — even though it's soft and it kind of gets clumpy. Those clumps of butter actually work really well in this recipe. It makes them fluffy and chewy, which I think the kids really like."
Get The Recipe
Joanna Gaines' Strawberry Shortcake
Joanna Gaines
Gaines uses brown sugar because it contains molasses, which makes the cookies more moist and chewy, whereas white sugar caramelizes and makes cookies more brown and crisp.
While we're champing at the bit to whip up a batch of these cookies (hey, we may even start now), this delicious dessert isn't the only fun fans can have with the Gaineses this week.
"So here’s what we’re gonna do: for the next few days, we’re going to share a new challenge and/or activity that we can all get in on together and share," the cookbook author posted.
They also want to see what their followers are cooking while staying at home. Gaines asked folks at the end of the video to post their own videos on Instagram as posts or stories with the tag @magnolia and #webelieveinhome.
Joanna Gaines' Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 stick softened butter (left at room temperature about an hour, still a little chilled)
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2½ cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 bag chocolate chips
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the brown sugar and butter to a stand mixer and beat on low spread until well combined but still chunky. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.
- Next add the flour, salt and baking soda. Start on low speed, increase to medium and then to high speed and allow to mix until ingredients are well combined
- Add the chocolate chips and mix for a few seconds on medium to high speed.
- Spoon or place cookies about one inch apart (about 12 dollops) on baking sheet lined with wax paper and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Optional: For a heartier dessert, spread an even layer of the cookie dough into one or two mini-cast iron pans, bake and top with your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Erica Chayes Wida
Erica Chayes Wida is an award-winning journalist, food writer and recipe editor who helmed a local newspaper before joining TODAY's freelance team. A mother of two, she loves singing, collecting old vinyl and, of course, cooking. Erica is forever on a worldwide quest to find the best ham and cheese croissant and brainstorms best over a sauce pot of bubbling pasta sauce. Her work has been featured on BBC Travel, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living and PopSugar. Follow along onInstagram.
FAQs
Joanna Gaines' Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix for a few seconds on medium to high speed. Spoon or place cookies about one inch apart (about 12 dollops) on baking sheet lined with wax paper and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
What's the short story behind the first chocolate chip cookies where and when were they made? ›
The most notable chocolate chip cookie recipe was invented by American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938. She invented the recipe during the period when she owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts. In this era, the Toll House Inn was a popular restaurant that featured home cooking.
Do you bake chocolate chip cookies at 350 or 375? ›
For those ooey, gooey chocolate chip cookies, 375 degrees Fahrenheit is your sweet spot. It's the perfect temperature to ensure super crispy exterior edges, while leaving the center slightly underdone and, thus, doughy and fudgey.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies hard after baking? ›
This isn't a revolutionary tip and is probably quite obvious, but if you leave your cookies in the oven for even a few minutes longer than necessary, the mix will dry too quickly and lead to more rigid, dry cookies.
Does Joanna Gaines eat healthy? ›
“Typically with sweets, I go all out,” she says. “If you're gonna make the cake, just make the cake.” The key, of course, is moderation. Gaines does stress that most of her family's food includes things like the nutritious vegetables and fruits that grow in their own garden—like this beautiful broccoli!
How many calories are in a standard homemade chocolate chip cookie? ›
Calories in cookies that you bake at home can be harder to calculate because there is quite a bit of variation in the ingredients used and in the size of each cookie. In general, however, a homemade chocolate chip cookie is likely to provide about 75 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.
What cookie was invented in 1938 by accident? ›
Circa 1938, Ruth Graves Wakefield added chopped up bits from a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar into a cookie. The chocolate chip cookie was invented by American chefs Ruth Graves Wakefield and Sue Brides in 1938. She invented the recipe during the period when she owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts.
What is the story behind chocolate chip cookies? ›
The original recipe was created in the late 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who famously ran the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts. The delicious mix of crispy cookie and melted chocolate chunks first appeared in her 1938 cookbook “Tried and True,” and was intended to accompany ice cream.
What do chocolate chip cookies symbolize? ›
It's easy to see how chocolate chip cookies have become a symbol of home and comfort. They are often associated with memories of childhood and home-baked treats. This could be one reason why they remain so popular today, even in times of prosperity.
What is Snoop Dogg cookies? ›
Snoop Dogg's peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe - His original cookie features creamy peanut butter and semisweet chocolate morsels, making it the perfect indulgence this holiday season. #
No, they aren't cookies shaped like Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift Cookies are these Chai Sugar Cookies that Taylor made for the 1989 Secret Sessions. She posted a picture of them on her Instagram and then posted the recipe on Tumblr. Kind of a cross between a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle.
How do you know when chocolate chip cookies are done in the oven? ›
How to Tell When Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Done. Chocolate chip cookies are done when they have a firm golden edge or bottom and appear slightly set on top. If the edges become dark brown, they are overbaked. If edges aren't golden and tops are soft and shiny, bake a little longer.
Why do you bake cookies at 350? ›
350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it's a great one. Your cookies will bake evenly and the outside will be done at the same time as the inside. Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie. The outsides will be a little softer, too.
What temperature is best for baking chocolate chip cookies? ›
Bake at 375 degrees F until golden and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. For crispy-cakey cookies: Bake the cookies at 425 degrees F until golden and crunchy on the outside, 8 to 10 minutes.
How do you know when chocolate chip cookies are done baking? ›
for a cookie with a crispy edge and a still soft center. And finally, when the entire outside turns a dark golden brown. and the edge doesn't move when gently pushed, the cookie will be crunchy without being burnt.
