Disneyland Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite, must get treats at Disney Parks are what I fondly refer to as Disneyland cookies. Needless to say I got a sweet tooth last night and Disneyland cookies are what I wanted. Bring on the Google Search, the discovery of thedisneydiner.com and a copy of Minnie's Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies Supreme. 

(Little known fact: Disney willing gives a copy of their recipes to anyone who asks.) 

Let the baking begin!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Supreme

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup POWDER sugar (NOT granulated sugar)

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2  2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add-ins:3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

3/4 cup Wilton Candy Melts (light cocoa wafers), roughly chopped

3/4 cup toffee bits (optional)

1 cup chopped pecans or almonds (optional)

Anything else you may want like: M&M's, Reese's Pieces, butterscotch chips, etc.

Directions:   Cream softened butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add egg, water and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well, scraping side of bowl of needed. Stir in chocolate and nuts with a spoon.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Now Disney's cookies are huge, as big as your fist huge...but I like small cookies so I made them small and it seems either size will workout great, just watch bake times. The real secret seems to be chilling the dough after it is on the baking sheet.

Small cookies: Using a small cookie scoop (or by rounding a heaping teaspoon of dough) place mounds of dough, 2" apart, on cookie sheet and then place cookie sheet into freezer to chill the dough, for 15 minutes.

This firms up the butter and prevents excessive spreading during baking, resulting in moist mounded cookies (a.k.a. Disneyland Cookies!) instead of flat cookies.   

Pull out of freezer and bake for 2 minutes at 400 degrees (creating a crisp outer shell and moist center).  Then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden.  Let cool on rack.

Huge cookies: Using an ice cream scoop, place heaping mounds of cookie dough, 3" apart, on cookie sheet and then place cookie sheet into freezer to chill the dough, for 20 minutes.

This firms up the butter and prevents excessive spreading during baking, resulting in moist mounded cookies (a.k.a. Disneyland Cookies!) instead of flat cookies.   

Pull out of freezer and bake for 2 minutes at 400 degrees (creating a crisp outer shell and moist center).  Then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.  Let cool on rack.

 Happy Baking!

A little extra DIY: I think this recipe might need a few Tablespoons less butter.  And I kept some of the dough overnight in the fridge to make later, which worked as a substitute for the 15 minutes in the freezer.