Rene's Bakery "Perfect Homemade" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone likes homemade chocolate chip cookies. Even my nephew Alex, who doesn't like ice cream (what teenager doesn't like ice cream?) and used to pick the sesame seeds off from his hamburger bun, enjoys the occasional chocolate chip cookie. The perfect homemade chocolate chip cookie is dense but not cakey, chocolatey but not overpowering and soft but chewy all at the same time. Most importantly - it's simple. Boom. I said it. All you need is: flour, butter, sugar, leavening agents, eggs, vanilla, chocolate and plus one - your favorite addition.

(Yes, I'm indirectly referencing the famous New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie with all its fancy bread flour and cake flour and sea salt and chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa content. What gives?)

If I am not in the mood to make my own batch of perfect homemade chocolate chip cookies, Taylor's Bakery is a timeless favorite (the bakery just celebrated its 99th anniversary last February). I can count on Taylor's for the best "white on white" (white cake, white icing) in town. Nothing fancy. Does the trick every time. The Flying Cupcake never fails me when I need that last minute, no-time-to-place-an-order birthday treat for a friend at work. With four locations (and one on the way), this cupcake bakery is convenient to almost any neighborhood in Central Indianapolis. Indy is also home to Confectioneiress in Zionsville, Sweet Lucinda's in Zionsville (a personal favorite!), Sweet Tooth Bakery on Mass Ave (so elegant) and Circle City Sweets at the Historic City Market. I have also heard some amazing buzz about The Cake Bake Shop, scheduled to open this summer. I'll be the first in line to taste test!

Rene's Bakery in Broad Ripple

Broad Ripple is home to Rene's Bakery, a quaint, European-style bakery owned by A. Rene Trevino. The robin's egg blue bakery is tucked behind a side street in Broad Ripple and resembles more of a small cottage than a bakery. In the summer, you can find Rene's goodies at The Broad Ripple Farmer's Market, where his oversized chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chewies are stacked by the dozen inside pretty little glass jars. Such a tease, if you ask me. The bakery is known for its coconut macaroons, chocolate chip cookies and elegant tortes, but when I walked in for a visit yesterday, everything looked taste-worthy. Even the croissants (who knew I liked croissants?).

Little jars of heaven at Rene's Bakery, including some of their most popular selections: chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, ginger molasses cookies and oatmeal walnut dried cherry cookies. 

You can imagine my delight when I was Google searching recipes for a family event and came across Rene's Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Midwest Living website. Ever since, it's been my go-to cookie recipe. The trick, like most recipes, is to bulk up on the good stuff, and to not be too cautious when measuring out a cup of semisweet chocolate chips. I add a bit more chocolate chips and a whole lot more coconut than I'm supposed to. I also split up my three cups semisweet chocolate pieces between both chocolate chunks and chocolate chips.

Other tips for great (versus good) chocolate chip cookies:
-Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and scrape off the mound with a knife. I can't claim to know the exact science here, but I've learned from baker after baker that for accuracy purposes, the next best thing to weighing your flour is spooning your flour into the measuring cup.
-If you are using dough that was previously frozen, or chilled in the fridge for more than 30 minutes, leave the dough on your counter for 25-30 minutes or enough time for your dough to get to room temperature.
-Make sure the cookie sheets are completely cooled in between batches to prevent spreading and hence flat cookies.
-Remove the cookies from the oven when they are just starting to brown. Give yourself a safety net here. Underbake your cookies.
-Wait at least two minutes before transferring the cookie to a wire rack or plate. This recipe says to cool for one minute, but why risk it? Put. The. Spatula. Down.

Rene's Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Midwest Living

Ta da! My perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients 
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1 cup granulated sugar 
3/4 cup packed brown sugar 
2 eggs 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
3 cups semisweet chocolate pieces (split between semisweet chunks and semisweet chips)
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

The Deal
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. 
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. 
Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed about 5 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. 
Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. 
Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can at one time with the mixer on low speed until all is incorporated.
Stir in chocolate pieces and coconut. 
Drop dough by 2 tablespoon portions 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press down on dough to flatten. 
Bake in a 350 degrees F oven 12 minutes or 14 minutes if dough is chilled or until edges are light brown. 
Cool on cookie sheets 2-3 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.