Chocolate Chip Cookies -- Bake-Off III

Kerry Beal · May 5, 2007

For our third in this bake off series I'd like to put forward Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chocolate chip cookies are certainly a classic baked item, done reasonably well by most home bakers, and somewhat poorly by a lot of manufacturers. Chocolate chip cookies are probably one of the first things we are taught to bake as children, sometimes from one of those frozen packages where you cut off the dough, often from the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip package.

If you take a look at recipeGullet you will find nine recipes for chocolate chip cookies to get you started. I'm sure there are more in there using different search criteria.

An excellent variation on the classic chocolate chip cookie would be eG's own Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies, a dark chocolate cookie with chocolate chunks and salt.

I like big chunks of chocolate in my chocolate chip cookies, I'll usually take a piece of imported dark chocolate and chop that into chunks to replace the chips in whatever recipe I'm using. I usually cut way back on the sugar in the recipe too.

My go to Chocolate Chunk cookie right now is a veritable kitchen sink, containing rolled oats, raisins and dates along with the chocolate chunks. Purists might not consider that a chocolate chip cookie I suppose.

So let's see them, your favourite chocolate chip/chunk cookies in all their glory. Don't forget to put your recipes into recipeGullet.

apronstrings · May 5, 2007

My all time favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies is from Cook's Illustrated. They use a very interesting technique. You take 1/4 cup of the batter/dough and roll into a ball. Pull it into 2 halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and join the halves together at the base with the rough edges facing up. Again form a single ball, keeping rough surface. Cool the baked cookies on the parchment paper you've baked them on for 1/2 hour before removing. Wah Wah Wee Wah!

tafkap4d · May 5, 2007

My fave is very simple and is from Epicurious. A basic recipe but you put salt flakes/crystals on top of the cookie before you bake it. It really sends the cookie...our daughter doesn't like it.

jumanggy · May 5, 2007

I've always used the internet recipe for "Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies" by Top Secret Recipe, which I'm sure is almost identical to the Nestle Tollhouse recipe. My friends keep requesting it (and I keep protesting because making it constantly limits my growth as a baker). Also, it's nothing like Mrs. Field's, but is still a great recipe, but nothing out of the ordinary. Im excited to see what you guys have in store!

butterscotch · May 5, 2007

i am super excited about this. :biggrin:

my fave choc chip cookie is made by a neighbor who will not give out the recipe. there's a bit of oatmeal in thee with the usual ingredients, and salty- buttery bottom that is almost lacy. It has the perfect texture- lumpy and chewy in just the middle and a nice salty crisp edge.

i'm hopeful the secret will be discvered on this thread. It's promsing everyone so far has called out the salt as important. I think we're already on the right track. Yum.

tafkap4d · May 5, 2007

i am super excited about this.
my fave choc chip cookie is made by a neighbor who will not give out the recipe. there's a bit of oatmeal in thee with the usual ingredients, and salty- buttery bottom that is almost lacy. It has the perfect texture- lumpy and chewy in just the middle and a nice salty crisp edge.
i'm hopeful the secret will be discvered on this thread. It's promsing everyone so far has called out the salt as important. I think we're already on the right track. Yum.
←

Oh Butterscotch - those sound heavenly. I do love the infamous NM cookie recipe as well. Oh please do try again to get that recipe and share. I could taste it through your description.

Salt is so very important to me - it is by far my favorite spice.

butterscotch · May 5, 2007

sadly, she will not give it up.... a chef friend who has had them thinks- shockingly- that the secret is margarine, but i know i can do it with butter. ...i am thinking maybe a wetter dough than usual. they reming me of the textured of a packaged mix i used to make when i was a kid- and you added one egg and a tablespoon of water and the dough did not form into balls, but thick peaks.

i always always layout a nice coating of SALTED butter when i bake anything. never unsalted. LOL. if it needs to be floured too, like for cakes or brownies, i use cocoa or even better a bit of my dry mix instead of just flour... a salty sweet crust is just divine.

okay, i'll have to work on these this month. going to get some ingredients now....

i am super excited about this.
my fave choc chip cookie is made by a neighbor who will not give out the recipe. there's a bit of oatmeal in thee with the usual ingredients, and salty- buttery bottom that is almost lacy. It has the perfect texture- lumpy and chewy in just the middle and a nice salty crisp edge.
i'm hopeful the secret will be discvered on this thread. It's promsing everyone so far has called out the salt as important. I think we're already on the right track. Yum.
←
Oh Butterscotch - those sound heavenly. I do love the infamous NM cookie recipe as well. Oh please do try again to get that recipe and share. I could taste it through your description.
Salt is so very important to me - it is by far my favorite spice.
←

lapin d'or · May 5, 2007

My current favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe somes from a RuthWells post on egullet:

CLINK

I have made this a couple of times recently and it has been very good. I like the fact that it uses so much chocolate and I do not add nuts just extra chocolate chunks.

This is a great way of using up chocolate that has become a bit thick from taking on moisture in my kitchen while making chocolates. I just pour the chocolate out onto parchment lined baking sheets and chop in into chunks when almost set.

These cookies have been good from the freezer too, I just warm them a little in the oven. Not too sweet, particularly if you use a darker chocolate.

I'm looking forward to trying some other egullet recipes but this is a firm favourite.

Tri2Cook · May 5, 2007

I'm looking forward to this. I'm generally a traditionalist when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. I prefer them without oatmeal, fruit, etc. I also like the standard "toll house" cookie recipe. My grandmother used to make the toll house cookies with walnuts and raisins in it instead of chocolate chips because she's not really a chocolate fan. They were really good as well but obviously were no longer chocolate chip cookies.

ludja · May 5, 2007

Some interesting ideas in this discussion thread on "A More Complex Chocolate Chip Cookie" started by lisa_antonia: click

I'm intrigued by ideas for adding buckwheat and another for adding coffee liqueur.

prasantrin · May 5, 2007

i am super excited about this.
my fave choc chip cookie is made by a neighbor who will not give out the recipe. there's a bit of oatmeal in thee with the usual ingredients, and salty- buttery bottom that is almost lacy. It has the perfect texture- lumpy and chewy in just the middle and a nice salty crisp edge.
i'm hopeful the secret will be discvered on this thread. It's promsing everyone so far has called out the salt as important. I think we're already on the right track. Yum.
←

That sounds a lot like the results of =Mark's Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies found in RecipeGullet. I've made them a couple of times, and they come out a bit lacy around the edges, but chewy in the middle. You could try this recipe, and substitute chocolate chips for the cranberries (and some of the pecans, maybe).

butterscotch · May 5, 2007

and before i forget, here's an interesting link to a search for cc cookie perfection....and it links back to.... well, egullet of course. :cool:

it's a mobious strip, or a mystery inside an enigma, this cookie thing. as well as a noble quest.

http://wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/2004/12/b...ip-cookies.html :smile:

merstar · May 5, 2007

These are both great:

THICK AND CHEWY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES from Cook's Illustrated

(scroll down to variation).

http://www.handcoding.com/archives/2004/07...colate-cookies/

MOCHA TRUFFLE COOKIES from Better Homes and Gardens

http://www.edining.ca/viewrecipe.asp?ID=985

Edited May 5, 2007 by merstar (log)

CanadianBakin' · May 5, 2007

My all time favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies is from Cook's Illustrated. They use a very interesting technique. You take 1/4 cup of the batter/dough and roll into a ball. Pull it into 2 halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and join the halves together at the base with the rough edges facing up. Again form a single ball, keeping rough surface. Cool the baked cookies on the parchment paper you've baked them on for 1/2 hour before removing. Wah Wah Wee Wah!
←

This is my go-to recipe as well although I don't bother with splitting the ball. I find if I use a 1 oz disher they still turn out with a nice textured surface. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. MMmmmmm...

merstar · May 5, 2007

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO COOKIES from Gourmet

I haven't made these in a long time, but I remember they were freakin' intense, and were so soft and gooey they almost fell apart.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/13440

Edited May 5, 2007 by merstar (log)

Majra · May 6, 2007

I like Alton Brown's "The Chewy," and also the Neiman Marcus recipe that contains oatmeal. I do like the recipe from the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag too; it is the flavor of my childhood. I make it with good butter and a little extra salt, and only half of the chocolate chips. Most people find that last alteration strange, but I like the cookie part better than the chocolate part, and this way I no longer find myself searching the batch for the cookies that contain the fewest number of chips!

annarborfoodie · May 6, 2007

My all time favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies is from Cook's Illustrated. They use a very interesting technique. You take 1/4 cup of the batter/dough and roll into a ball. Pull it into 2 halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and join the halves together at the base with the rough edges facing up. Again form a single ball, keeping rough surface. Cool the baked cookies on the parchment paper you've baked them on for 1/2 hour before removing. Wah Wah Wee Wah!
←
This is my go-to recipe as well although I don't bother with splitting the ball. I find if I use a 1 oz disher they still turn out with a nice textured surface. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. MMmmmmm...
←

Ditto - I use the Thick & Chewy recipe but abandoned the blob technique many years ago for a disher. These are my go-to cookie - I have the recipe memorized and these are what I use for care packages, fund raisers, etc. I took a Foodsavered package of them in my suitcase to California last week and the TSA inspector was a bit perplexed when she pulled them out of my bag :unsure: I Foodsavered them when they were still a bit warm so they got a little smooshed.

miladyinsanity · May 6, 2007

I like Alton Brown's "The Chewy," and also the Neiman Marcus recipe that contains oatmeal. I do like the recipe from the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag too; it is the flavor of my childhood. I make it with good butter and a little extra salt, and only half of the chocolate chips. Most people find that last alteration strange, but I like the cookie part better than the chocolate part, and this way I no longer find myself searching the batch for the cookies that contain the fewest number of chips!
←

Actually, it's not strange at all.

I do the same, even with the Korova cookie. I know, sacrilege! But I'm after a cookie here, not chocolate glued together with cookie dough. If I wanted chocolate, I've bars of it in the house.

blurby · May 6, 2007

<snip> ... I like Alton Brown's "The Chewy," ... </snip>
←

I'll second that vote for Alton Brown's chewy recipe. It isn't a 'different' chocolate chip cookie; just a damned good one.

The Recipe

paulraphael · May 7, 2007

<snip> ... I like Alton Brown's "The Chewy," ... </snip>
←
I'll second that vote for Alton Brown's chewy recipe. It isn't a 'different' chocolate chip cookie; just a damned good one.
The Recipe
←

A third vote. I use his as the foundation for a bunch of minor variations. If you like chewy cookies, his approach is definitely worth a try.

LEdlund · May 8, 2007

I've been making Tyler Florence's My Big, Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies. I really like the cookies but the only problem I have is chopping the chocolate. Some of the pieces get so small that they just melt into the batter and I prefer to have the batter plain.

I think I'll try Alton Brown's and Cook's Illustrated for this Bake Off.

LittleIsland · May 20, 2007

Has anyone baked up some yummy chocolate chip cookies to report on?

prasantrin · May 20, 2007

Actually, it's not strange at all.
I do the same, even with the Korova cookie. I know, sacrilege! But I'm after a cookie here, not chocolate glued together with cookie dough. If I wanted chocolate, I've bars of it in the house.
←

I don't even put chocolate chips in my Korova cookies. I forgot they were supposed to have chocolate in them until it was mentioned here!

Chufi made some delicious looking chocolate chip cookies from the Dorie Greenspan book. I really wish I had my book here, because if I did, I would be eating some right now! Chufi made them look like the perfect chocolate chip cookies!

edited to add: I found the recipe in my files, so I'll be making them tomorrow or the day after--if I gain 10lbs, I'm going to blame Chufi! (But don't tell her! :biggrin: )

Edited May 20, 2007 by prasantrin (log)

Chufi · May 20, 2007

Chufi made some delicious looking chocolate chip cookies from the Dorie Greenspan book. I really wish I had my book here, because if I did, I would be eating some right now! Chufi made them look like the perfect chocolate chip cookies!
edited to add: I found the recipe in my files, so I'll be making them tomorrow or the day after--if I gain 10lbs, I'm going to blame Chufi! (But don't tell her! )
←

I was just going to post them! You beat me to it.

They are really good cookies. I made half the recipe and then gave most of the cookies to a friend (both excellent ways to reduce the rick of gaining those lbs. you mentioned :wink: )

I halve most cookie recipes btw. I really don't need 36 cookies in the house when there's just the 2 of us eating them!

Cookie Dibs · May 20, 2007

I like Alton Brown's "The Chewy," and also the Neiman Marcus recipe that contains oatmeal. I do like the recipe from the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag too; it is the flavor of my childhood. I make it with good butter and a little extra salt, and only half of the chocolate chips. Most people find that last alteration strange, but I like the cookie part better than the chocolate part, and this way I no longer find myself searching the batch for the cookies that contain the fewest number of chips!
←

Tried the Alton Brown recipe today. Very, very good. Next, I'll try the Cooks Illustrated recipe to compare.

Martha Stewart did a chocolate chip recipe contest and a recipe by Jacqes Torres won. I made them, but very cakey and I did not like them at all...

Great site....This is my first post!

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