Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve made chocolate chip cookies before. Hundreds of times, in fact. Once here on this blog. And I absolutely love love love that recipe.

So, here’s the story. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to make something rich and chocolatey. I found a recipe for these gorgeous looking Tri-layer Chocolate Oatmeal bars. They looked amazing. ("Looked” being the key word.)

They were a total disaster. They were seriously awful. I’m not usually a picky eater when it comes to chocolate and baked goods (Hello, hips? ‘Nuff said.), but after one piece, I never touched them again. And I cried. And the bars sat on my kitchen counter. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away, but nor could I send them off to work with The Husband. That’d just be cruel. And, well, I have a reputation to think of.

So, there I was, feeling down. I knew what I needed. A sure thing. Chocolate chip cookies. I know chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies and I? BFF’s.

Of course, I had to go and complicate matters. Ever since I saw the chocolate chip cookie episode of Good Eats (which I posted here) (you’re welcome), I’ve wanted to try all three different variations. I started with The Chewy. Why? Because of the three, I had everything on hand that I needed for this one. So there.



My oldest memory of chocolate chip cookies goes back to… hm… I think I was nine. (I’d ask my mom to correct me, but her memory? Nonexistent.) We were living in San Juan Capistrano and my mom had promised to make cookies with me.

Something happened (who the hell knows now) and she changed her mind… or was too tired… or something. I asked if I could just make them myself. “No,” she said, “you’re too young, you’ll burn yourself.”

“Then can I just make the dough?” I asked. She sighed and, in defeat, agreed. So, I made chocolate chip cookie dough. And we ate it. It was just the four of us at the time. My mom, my little brother, my older sister and myself. And then we all died of salmonella poisoning. The end.

No, not really. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend eating raw cookie dough, I will say it’s one of the best things ever. And don’t sit there and try to tell me you never sample the dough. I won’t believe you.

But, back to these cookies. They were ugly. All wrinkled like raisins and dark brown. The devastation I felt upon pulling these out of the oven to find them looking totally defunct was painful. How could I go wrong with chocolate chip cookies?! I wanted to fall to my knees and curse the baking Gods. Why were they punishing me?!

Then I ate one.

And my taste buds sang a chorus of hallelujahs. These were quite possibly the best tasting chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. No freaking joke, peeps. The major player in this here recipe was the brown sugar and that set the stage to make these rich, chewy, unbelievable, God-is-smiling-down-upon-me cookies. Which is how they shall now be known.

It’s quite possible I effed up somewhere along the way, but I don’t think I did. At least, I hope I didn’t, ‘cause if I can’t recreate these little round discs of deliciousness, I will have to give up baking forever.

Amen.


(I know what you’re thinking. They don’t look so ugly in this photo. Peeps, I couldn’t bring myself to share the pictures that showed just how ugly they were. You’ll just have to take my word on this one.)


Ingredients
1 cup butter, melted over low heat
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
1. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.
2. Mix together the butter and sugars.
3. Add eggs, then milk, then vanilla, mixing after each addition.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients.
5. Stir in chips and taste dough. I insist. Wait, I don’t insist. (I see a lawsuit in my future.)
6. Chill for a couple of hours.
7. Bake for, oh, 8 – 10 minutes. (I’d say “until golden brown” but they get pretty brown all over. Just don’t burn ‘em, okay?)
8. Eat.
9. Die happy.

(Click for printer-friendly version.)

14 comments:

  1. Oh sweetie they are supposed to look like that, you did right. I used to make all my choco chip cookies with brown sugar only. My dad didn't believe in white sugar (or 2% milk, only the real stuff for us) so I had only brown sugar to work with. It darkens the cookies and makes them all crinkly like that. I'm sure I could tell you why (being a chemist and all) but I forget. Maybe Alton says something about it on the show? He's so wonderful, I love him. The cookies do taste faboo though, I should really go back to that old school recipe. We usually use the one on the bag of Nestle chocolate chips (but use only 1/4 of the # of chips). Why? Because if I say "I want some chocolate chip cookies" and the husband hears me he will make them. It's the only recipe he knows and I am way into having someone else make me my cookies...

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  2. Why are cookies (or anything, for that matter) better when someone else makes it? Good to know I did these cookies right. But... man, they really aren't very attractive.

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  3. Bread flour? Really? Cuz I'm going to make them and I don't want to screw them up! I haven't make chocolate chip cookies since Christmas. We desperately need some! Sadly, my husband doesn't make me cookies. :(

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  4. Gayle, who knows? Maybe all purpose would work just as well. I've been kind of obsessive about recipes lately and have been trying to use exactly what's called for, but normally I'd default to whatever is in my pantry. Try AP flour. I'm sure they'll come out just fine! I need someone to try this so that, in the future, I don't have to worry about having bread flour on hand.

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  5. I never sample the dough. I'm sorry it's true :)But thank you for this recipe, because I love God-is-smiling-down-upon-me cookies.

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  6. You may never want to eat any cookies I make. They're all ugly. They taste okay, but they're all ugly.Also, LOVE THE COOKIE DOUGH. It's the best part! My parents, true story, had one of the biggest fights I can remember over cookie dough. My dad was making the cookies, and my mom went and took a spoonful of the cookie dough. That ticked off my dad, since he felt that she should have asked permission, and THAT ticked off my mom, since she felt that he should know she wanted some and should have offered it because she ALWAYS wants some.So he offered some up and then proceeded to give her a spoonful WITHOUT ANY CHOCOLATE CHIPS in it.Donald and I stayed away for a couple days because it was like a full war over there after that.

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  7. The dough is the only real reason to make chocolate chip cookies!

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  8. I've made these many of times, and I don't remember them being ugly. They are super delicious, though!!!

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  9. These look and sound great. I have been looking for a superb CCC recipe... thanks! Oh, how can anyone resist the dough?

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  10. Mmm! They sound really good. I am always looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. They do not last long around here!

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  11. Have you tried Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake? OMG!!!

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  12. Memória, I'm not sure about yours, but mine came out looking like mutant raisins with chocolate chips. Not ugly enough to stop me from eating them, though.Nin, I have tried her cake and it's amazing! I wrote about it somewhere on this here blog back in December. Just fantastic!

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  13. I've HAD those!!Maybe not exactly the same recipe but they looked just like those and they were AMAZING! Especially with a cold beer.

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  14. AnonymousJune 08, 2009

    what temp ? greased or ungreased cooky sheet?

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