Okay, so I’ve been craving those Panera Bread chocolate chip cookies for a while now. You know, the ones that are huge, chewy, and just packed with chocolate? Well, I finally decided to try and make them myself. I found a bunch of recipes online that claimed to be “copycats,” but they all looked a little different. So, I kind of mashed a few of them together and hoped for the best. Here’s how it went down:
Gathering the Ingredients
First things first, I grabbed all the ingredients. I already had most of the basics like flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. But I did have to make a quick trip to the store for some butter, brown sugar, and of course, a big bag of chocolate chips. I opted for the semi-sweet kind because that’s what Panera seems to use. Oh, and I also picked up some baking soda and salt while I was there.
Mixing It Up
Next, I creamed together the softened butter and both sugars in my trusty stand mixer. I let that go for a few minutes until it was all light and fluffy. Then, I cracked in two eggs, one at a time, and poured in a splash of vanilla. Once that was all combined, I slowly added the dry ingredients – the flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough was looking pretty thick at this point, so I knew it was time for the best part.
Chocolate Chip Time
I dumped in a generous amount of chocolate chips, and I don’t do it with the number they gave on the recipe. I just add it to my taste, who cares! And then I mixed them in until they were evenly distributed. The dough was super thick, and I had to use a little elbow grease to get it all mixed up, but it was worth it. To be honest, I definitely snuck a few spoonfuls of dough at this point. Don’t judge me.
Baking
I preheated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lined a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, I scooped out big mounds of dough onto the sheets, making sure to leave plenty of space between them. These cookies are supposed to be big, so I made sure not to skimp on the dough. It said we should bake them 12 minutes, and I only did 10, I don’t want them dry.
The Moment of Truth
After about 10 minutes, the cookies were golden brown around the edges and looked perfectly baked. I took them out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Taste Test
Okay, so they weren’t exactly like Panera’s, but they were still pretty darn good! They were definitely big and chewy, and they had a ton of chocolate chips. I think I might try adding a little more brown sugar next time, just to get that extra bit of chewiness, but overall, I was really happy with how they turned out. They might not be an exact replica, but they sure satisfied my craving!
- Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes and adjust them to your own taste.
- Next time: Maybe try using a mix of different types of chocolate chips.
- Final thoughts: Baking these cookies was a fun little adventure, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.
If you have your own experiences, let me know, I would love to hear them!
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