Some of us love crispy cookies. Some of us prefer soft, chewy cookies. But I would say, why do we have to pick sides? Let’s just love alllll the cookies no matter their texture. And these particular cookies have a fantastic texture – soft and tender all the way through. They’re packed with rich and sweet chocolate that’s backed up by the subtlest tang of cream cheese (which is to say they’re totally delicious). If you like your cookies big, if you like your cookies sweet but balanced, if you like cookies at all… you’re going to love these.

The dough here starts in a familiar manner, by creaming the butter, but in this case, you’re creaming that butter together with some cream cheese, which adds a softness and wonderful flavor to these cookies. Then it’s business as usual – brown and white sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt.

There’s also cornstarch here, which again helps you obtain that impossibly soft and tender bite. (And of course, there’s also PLENTY of chocolate chips!)

The other key to the texture of these cookies is chilling the dough. With some cookies, you might just go ahead and chill the whole bowl, but in this case, you want to scoop them out, flatten them a bit and then chill them. And don’t even think of skipping that step! Putting the cookies in the oven cold helps to keep them from spreading. That and the cream cheese and the cornstarch is what makes these “soft batch.”

Another key is to bake these until they’re just set. You want a pale cookie, one that will meet your teeth with little resistance. You’re not looking for golden brown edges here – just a soft, pillowy, tender disc of sweetness.

We don’t deserve to exist on the same planet as chocolate chip cookies. They are always there for us and they never ask for anything in return. Did you know that they have even done studies about how truly amazing these cookies are? When we eat chocolate chip cookies, the neurobiological reward system that is triggered within the brain is the same as cocaine!

Luckily for us, the chocolate chip cookie is fully legal. We can have as many as we want…within reason, of course. Best of all, there is one simple ingredient that can be added to the chocolate chip cookie that makes them even more delicious.

If you love super soft chocolate chip cookies (and who doesn’t?), all you need to do is add some cream cheese when you are whipping up your wet ingredients. By adding cream cheese, you can make the cookies even more rich and moist. In fact, we would even go so far as to call the cream cheese a real game-changer. There are other ways to take your cookies to the next level, though.

Cream of tartar is not commonly used but, trust us, it is everything. This ingredient lets the cookies rise more and keeps them from becoming too crumbly once they are finished. Others may decide that they need to chill their dough beforehand. For best results, chill the dough for at least 24 hours before you embark on the baking process. Others recommend allowing it to chill for at least 36 hours.

Bread flour and dark brown sugar are also useful ingredients. Bread flour can be used as a substitute for your all-purpose flour. The higher level of protein content gives the cookies far more volume. Bread flour also makes the cookies far chewier. Brown sugar is also a wonderful ingredient when you are looking to make the cookies chewier.

Since dark brown sugar is denser, air pockets cannot form inside of the dough. There is some real science behind the best chocolate chip cookies and now you are able to take yours to a new level. Once you have had the chance to test out these ingredients for yourself, it is time to share the new recipes with your friends and loved ones. Enjoy your baking, everyone!