Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces (1/4 cup) brick-style cream cheese (lite brick-style is okay but don’t use ‘whipped’ or ‘spreadable’)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon brewed coffee, optional but recommended (leftover from the morning brew okay)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional but recommended
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 ounces (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, optional coffee (doesn’t make cookies taste like coffee, serves to enhance the chocolate flavor), vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the cocoa powder, optional espresso powder (doesn’t make cookies taste like coffee, serves to enhance the chocolate flavor), and beat on medium-high speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
Add chocolate chips and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.

Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with un-chilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly under-cooked or glossy in the center; don’t over-bake which is easy to do with chocolate cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool so pull them before you think you need to.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.