The Covered Dish: Chocolate Chip Cookies

0
470

Over the past few years multiple people have asked me if I’ve ever run my personal chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Truthfully, I don’t ‘think’ I ever have.

I’ve done oatmeal chocolate chip, but refrained from sharing this one particular recipe, for this age-old favorite cookie.  The real answer is I didn’t have a recipe that I used consistently until about four years ago.  I didn’t write this one from scratch, I modified a recipe that was consistently outstanding every time I made it.  Today I’ll ‘finally’ share that recipe with you, giving lots of cookie tips along the way.

Before we dive into the recipe and tips let’s take a look at the top (8) cookie choices from the internet.  Starting with 8th choice and ending with first choice. Oatmeal raisin, ginger cookies, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cookies and finally in first place Chocolate Chip Cookies!    If someone makes homemade cookies I’m going to enjoy them.  (Unless someone does black-walnut.)  There’s not a lot of people who can turn down a made from scratch cookie.

Many of you have heard me ‘preach’ for years the fact that cookies are not for beginners, in the kitchen.  Good cookies take patience and a good understanding of baking.  Many cookies, like ginger and snickerdoodles will rise and crinkle.  The best time to pull is just when they make the drop or slightly before.  This will assure a soft cookie.  The longer they bake the harder and crispier they become.

Chocolate chip cookies require a good eye and baking judgement or they become hard and crisp very quickly.  Remember when a cookie sits on a hot cookie sheet it continues to cook.  Let them set and then in about a minute move to a cooling rack.   Probably the best cookie tip is to bake on parchment paper.  This protects your pans, and keeps the cookies from over-browning.  Making clean-up so very nice.

For this chocolate chip recipe I like to suggest chilling the dough before baking.  I think it firms up the dough and the cookies don’t spread as bad.  Another tip that helps with the spreading, of the dough, is to shape the dough into a 2 tablespoon ball and then pinch it into peak/pyramid shape.  If cookies run together cut through edges while the cookie is still hot.  You can do this while they’re firming up on the tray.

My favorite tip for cookies is to make the dough in advance and refrigerate or freeze the dough.  Take today, for example, I made the cookie dough on Tuesday and refrigerated.  This morning I got up and baked 3 dozen to take to the annual Daytona 500 party.  Don’t freeze the dough in tubs where the dough is in a deep container.  This makes for uneven thawing at bake time.  With this recipe I divide the dough in half and press it about 1-inch thick into freezer bags.  The thawing will be quick and even.

Now probably the most interesting tip in the recipe today is the addition of the cinnamon.  This gets under the chocolate and just elevates the flavor.  Don’t get over zealous and add a full teaspoon as it’s too much.  You could compare this to Texas chili when you add chocolate to the soup.  The chocolate just enhances the rich beef and tomato flavors without taking ownership of the chili.

I hope you enjoy making these delicious cookies.  Remember to pick up 2 bags of chocolate chips as this is a very large recipe.

Simply yours, The Covered Dish.   www.thecovereddish.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup oil of choice

1 cup softened salted butter

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 1/2 – 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 (12 ounce) pkgs. semisweet chocolate pieces*

Because of the size of this recipe I prefer to mix the dough in a mixer.  Place the softened butter and oil in the mixing bowl and blend until smooth.  Add both sugars, mixing again.  Add the 5 eggs, one at a time until blended.  In a separate bowl you will combine all the dry ingredients:  baking soda, cinnamon, flour and salt.  Mix with a spoon or whisk and then add gradually to the sugar, butter and egg mixture.  Lastly add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla followed by the chocolate chips.  The dough will be fairly stiff.  Cover bowl with a tea towel and refrigerate up to an hour before baking.  Using a 2 tablespoon scoop this should yield around 60-65 cookies.  Bake on parchment covered pans in a 350 degree oven.

*For test purposes Ghirardelli chocolate chips were used.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here