Your Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Subpar Because Of This Often Neglected Ingredient

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic, and they're pretty simple to make. Just mix a bit of flour, sugar, butter, milk, and baking soda — and chocolate chips, of course. However, there are some mistakes that will ruin your chocolate chip cookies — like not refrigerating the dough before you bake them. There are also some pro-baker tips to level up your chocolate chip cookies, coming from an expert on the subject. For more advice, we reached out to that same expert once again for a Chowhound exclusive.

Christina Tosi, chef and owner of Milk Bar, has a storied career in the cookie space and a new collaboration with the people that know spice, recently launching the limited-time McCormick x Milk Bar Eggnog English Toffee Cookie. As for the ingredient that is often left off of chocolate chip cookies, Tosi says it's a flavor that McCormick knows well. "Whether you realize it or not, vanilla will make or break any chocolate chip cookie — it's an essential part of the base dough, it cues a distinct color, aroma, and flavor that is the entryway in for the velvety pockets of chocolate chip in every bite." A little vanilla is just the trick for any good chocolate chip cookie, but you need to know what you're using for the correct effect.

"'If it grows together, it goes together' is a phrase we often use in the kitchen when combining flavors or looking to enhance a recipe — chocolate and vanilla grow right next to one another, so it makes sense!" Christina Tosi says. However, she warns against using vanilla paste or whole vanilla beans in your cookies. While there are many different kinds of vanilla, some of which may be considered more natural or upmarket, vanilla beans or pods aren't generally best for cookies. Because natural vanilla beans are so aromatic, Tosi says, "They almost distract, overpower."

A little vanilla extract, on the other hand, will balance the chocolate flavor rather than adding too much overpowering earthiness, and it mixes easily with other ingredients. "Even when I want to bring in another flavor," Tosi says, "say almond, maple, peppermint, or even a liqueur, I always start with a base [McCormick] vanilla extract — it's the base, jumping off point for palate and bringing together flavors, especially in a chocolate chip cookie." Just 1 or even ½ teaspoon will give your cookies the right balance against the chocolate. If you're using other flavors, like almond or peppermint, Tosi says, "I typically halve the vanilla in a recipe if I'm bringing in another flavor to help tell a new flavor story."