Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookies of Love.

It's been done before. I know. Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was talking to another food blogger about this phenomenon. It's the "BEST EVER"--syndrome.

It may be a wonderful recipe, the best I have ever used. Later, however, I may find one to top it. Not to mention that there is no accounting for taste and that though I may prefer a crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside cookie with a lot of substance, others may prefer one crispy and a lot flatter. It's like anything in life. I can love my husband, adore him without restraint, and yet if someone else was dating him, they may not feel the same way. For the record, if someone else WAS dating him, it better be a WAS. I've thankfully never once had to doubt his fidelity. He's one of those. Which may be one of the reasons I have total respect for the man.

Life, love, the spot on the dial. Whatever it is, right now this is the beginning and end of chocolate chip cookies...for ME. I hope you will agree, but then again, I won't die if you don't.

This is another Ace entry. I decided these cookies are a man's cookie. Needing to be pictured with a race helmet (He actually uses it when he works with Nascar teams), plaid and a grenade (yea, it's a toy so don't get your pantyhose is a knot). The TP is definitely a man thing. He doesn't care what is on the counter with the cookies...as long as there are cookies. I have to double the chocolate chips too, because every time I make them, Ace walks in the kitchen and wants to eat chips...


This is the girlie picture. See, the ladies can still eat them too.

The kicker is that half way through baking I turned around and Ace was eating the dough right off the pan. I made him stop so I could take the picture for "State's" evidence. Yup. I have proof. He eats right off the pan.

One of my favorite things to do is to top my cookies with a little coconut. If you don't like coconut, don't use it. Ace loves it...

The Chocolate chip cookie. A great American tradition.

My Sister, Auntie Em, sent me this recipe about a year ago. Ever since I have never returned to my older recipes. I know there are a million food blogs with similar entries. What would make anyone put another chocolate chip cookie posting? Well, I am posting one. My husband can't keep his hands off them. It's called Mrs Fields Cookies (but I've never seen them on any other Mrs. Fields knock-off website postings). Lets see if I can remember these from my brain....
or Em's brain. This is her recipe.

1 cup butter (I melt it a little so it makes a Carmel like cookie)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips (my family loves Guitard semi sweet )
1 tsp vanilla (I double the vanilla and also add a 1/2 tsp almond extract.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla.
Combine the flour mixture with the creamed butter mixture, just until combined. Add the chocolate chips. Scoop by rounded Tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper.
In preheated 350 degree oven bake until lightly golden, about 10-13 minutes. Remove these fluffy bits of goodness from baking sheet and allow to cool on dish cloth or foil on the counter top

Can you tell me what it is about these cookies that have such a power over me? Like my husband, they are irresistible.

There must be a scientific reason for my addiction! These are also good frozen. Form into balls using cookie scooper and freeze. Dump into freezer bag. To cook, pull from freezer desired amount to cook. Bake from frozen at 375 for 15 minutes, or allow to warm to room temperature and bake as directed above.

Variations:
Add 2T orange zest to batter.
Add 1 Cup chopped nuts of your choice (so awesome with hazelnuts or almonds, but pecans and walnuts are traditional)
Add raisins for the "Raisinette"
(which is the nickname I had for Auntie Em in High school but for a totally different reason...)
Whatever you add, be sure to watch your back, these seem to disappear without explanation!

6 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

Really great shots! I'll keep this recipe:)

Chef Tess said...

Yea! Thank you!

Amy said...

The fact that you use TWO CUPS of brown sugar tells me that these are gonna be good.

Chef Tess said...

Oh my goodness. Amy I'm glad you said something about the brown sugar. It is actually supposed to be 1 cup. That was a typo. If you do like the brown sugar, you could just do 2 cups brown sugar and omit the white sugar. They would be more like a Blondie. Um. Delicious

Abby said...

I know it's been awhile since you posted this recipe. I'm trying it today and only recently found your blog. One question -- do you cool them on the counter or foil because you do don't have a rack or is there a difference in how the cookies turn out after cooling a little?!

I still remember my mom telling me a story about how a grandma always cut the ends of her roast when cooking it. So her daughter always did the same, until one day she asked her mom and come to find out - she only cut the ends because it wouldn't fit in her pan otherwise!

I love your blog! Thanks for all the great recipes!

Chef Tess said...

Ya know what Abby, I actually like letting them cool on foil. They stay a little more moist and together, but then I slightly underbake them so they are exta soft and the foil doesn't let them fall through cracks. Love the story about the roast! That's classic!