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‘Chopped’ Champion Brian Riggenbach’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Has Taken 40 Years to Perfect

Chef Brian Riggenbach
Chef Brian RiggenbachEmily Dorio

Chef Brian Riggenbach is perhaps best known for showcasing his skills on season 24 of the Food Network’s award-winning show Chopped, which he won, but these days he’s busy living and cooking in Nashville, Tennessee.

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That’s where he, along with Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan, decided to join forces and open a restaurant called The Mockingbird, where Brian works as the executive chef. The “modern diner,” which opened in 2017, has taken Music City’s dining scene by storm thanks to its pun-filled menu, playful design and Brian’s decadent desserts.

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The Mockingbird’s most popular sweet treats are the gooey Chocolate Chip Supreme Cookies, which are made using a Riggenbach family recipe and then served in whimsical birdcages. “This recipe is the epitome of nostalgia for me. It’s my mom Joan’s Chocolate Chip Supreme Cookie recipe that she has perfected over the last 40 years,” Brian tells Us Weekly. “It is a pretty classic recipe, but there is the addition of oats that leads to a nice crunch and a balance of whole wheat and all-purpose flour for just the perfect crumb structure and moisture level.”

According to Brian, the ingredients make these cookies “perfectly soft” and not too sweet, even though they are “loaded with chocolate chips.”

“To me, this is one of the most simple recipes but also one of the hardest to perfect,” Brian says. “Straight out of the oven they smell heavenly, and they are on the [Mockingbird] menu, in part, because it brings such joy to smell them being baked every day!”

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Check out the cookie recipe below and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.

Chef Brian Riggenbach's Chocolate Chip Supreme Cookies
Chef Brian Riggenbach’s Chocolate Chip Supreme Cookies

Brian Riggenbach’s Chocolate Chip Supreme Cookies

Makes 6-8 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 small packages (6.8 oz) instant vanilla pudding
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a stand mixer, cream butter for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended. Add pudding mix and vanilla.
  3. Combine flours, baking soda and salt. Gradually add into butter mixture.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips and oats.
  5. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a lined sheet pan.
  6. Press dough until it is 1 inch thick.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks and let cool completely.
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