Tuesday, March 17, 2020

How to Bake for Beginners: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies


It's an ideal baking book for beginners, covering all the usual suspects: bars, cookies, quick breads, muffins, cakes, pies, and yeast breads. 


I've been on a quest for the best chocolate chip cookie since I was in my 30s. Why not try out Mahy Elamin's recipe: "Everyone has their own version of the best chocolate chip cookies! Mine is on the puffy side---chewy in the center and firm on the edges. These are not too dense, are studded with chocolate, and have a strong buttery flavor."


ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, cream the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, or until fluffy, starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed.

3. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute until smooth.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until blended. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture and beat until the dough just comes together and looks like crumbles. It will not be smooth dough.

5. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and then use your clean hands (!) to gather the dough into one piece. Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, scoop out individual cookies and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Do not flatten the cookies! They will spread slightly as they bake.

6. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until the edges have set and the cookies have spread, but the centers are still soft. The cookies will be rather pale; don't wait for them to brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.




Other chocolate chip cookie recipes I have tried:







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20 comments:

  1. Yum! I like a chewy but firm cookie too.

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  2. I've always wanted to try the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies recipe. Although it has nuts and oatmeal in it too, but they always smelled so good in the mall.

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  3. Lip smacking. Happy #WW

    https://natashamusing.com/2020/03/love-in-the-times-of-corona-wordlesswednesday-wednesdaywisdom-yeahwritenonfiction/

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  4. Enjoy the baking and stay safe.

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  5. Never tied to make cookies but I might just have a go now.

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  6. These look good! I do love a good chocolate chip cookie. My favorite recipe is the Cooks Illustrated version followed closely by another recipe which involves brown butter. This looks different from both and I'm curious.

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  7. I think even I could do that! But where is the part where you remove the cat hairs before baking? MOL!

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  8. They all look rather delicious 🙋‍♀️🐝

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  9. I always just follow the recipe on the chocolate chip package -- maybe it's time to branch out. Yours look perfect.

    best...mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  10. It looks so delicious. Wish I was this good at baking.

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  11. A coworker used to bring in chocolate chip cookies so delicious I would sneak into the break room between classes and squirrel some away rather than take my chances on there being enough left at lunch. She would never tell me her secret, although I suspect they might have been made with Crisco, which would have made them taste like the cookies I had as a child. They were crispy without being crunchy, if that makes sense.

    I've made some bread and pizza, and my kid made a cake, pancakes, and waffles. It's a good time for baking.

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  12. Yum. Makes me want to bake some cookies.

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  13. I do t think I know anyone who doesn’t like a chocolate chip cookie!

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  14. Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? This is a good time to cook and bake!

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  15. I'm with Marg ... I want to bake!

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  16. From Rae
    Mmmmmmmmmmm. I can almost smell them!

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  17. I'm starting with baking bread - to avoid having to go out to buy it. Reasonable success. Cheers and stay safe

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