Here's another version of the classic chocolate chip cookie with emphasis on being thick and chewy. This recipe is adapted from The Best New Recipe of Cook's Illustrated. There is an optional step on chilling the dough to make it spread less when baking. I prefer to chill it after balling it since it is easier to do so rather than the other way around.
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
300 g [2 1/2 cups] plain flour 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp fine salt 185 g [3/4 cups] unsalted butter - melted 200 g [1 cup packed] light or dark brown sugar 70 g [1/3 cup] granulated sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk 2 tsp vanilla extract 200 g [about 1 1/2 cups] chocolate chips
Pre-heat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F. Grease or line baking sheets with baking paper.
Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a small bowl until well mixed.
Mix, either by hand or electric mixer, the butter and sugars until well combined.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Add the dry ingredients until combined.
Add the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon and stir until combined.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch (about 50 g) balls.
[Optional] Chill the dough balls for about 2 hours or until firm.
Arrange dough balls on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 11 minutes or until the outer edges start to brown and the centres are still soft and puffy.
Cool the cookies right in the baking sheets for about 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the baking sheets with a wide spatula and cool completely on a rack.
This is another hit from my trusted The New Best Recipe cookbook from Cook's Illustrated. I especially love the intense chocolate taste of this cookie while remaining quite soft and chewy. I do have to go grocery shopping for 50% cocoa content dark chocolates since my baking chocolates in my pantry is always 70%. The coffee in my opinion can be omitted since it really made the flavour very intense. But other than that they were very nice cookies indeed.
Double Chocolate Cookies (Thick & Chewy)
260 g [2 cups] plain flour 35 g [1/2 cup] cocoa 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp fine salt 4 large eggs 450 g dark chocolate (50% cocoa content) - chopped 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp instant coffee (optional) 185 g [3/4 cup] unsalted butter - softened 300 g [1 1/2 cups packed] light brown sugar 100 g [1/2 cup] granulated sugar
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa in a bowl and set aside.
Combine eggs and vanilla and beat lightly. If using, sprinkle the coffee over and beat until dissolved.
Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a simmering saucepan of water. Cool slightly and set aside.
Beat the butter with the sugars.
Add the egg mixture while beating.
Mix in the melted chocolate.
Add in the combined dry ingredients while mixing at low speed or with a wooden spoon.
[Optional] Cover bowl and chill in th fridge until scoopable (about 1 hour).
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
Scoop or shape the dough into balls about 1 1/2-inch in diameter or about 55 g in weight and arrange in baking sheets 1 1/2-inches apart.
Bake in the oven for about 11-12 minutes or until the edges have begun to set but the middle is still soft.
Cool in the sheets for about 10 minutes and then transfer to racks and cool completely.
This recipe is from one of the hundreds of torn-off magazine pages that I save in the hope of trying it out "later". That "later" is now ten years and I reckon it's high time I try it again. The first time it was quite bland so I upped the sugar this time. It turned out quite good although it's more cake-like than a chewy/crispy cookie. The self-raising flour has a lot to do with that.
I adapted this from an advertisement feature in the BBC GoodFood magazine of December 2006 - almost 10 years!
Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
125 g [1/2 cup] unsalted butter - softened 200 g [1 cup packed] light muscovado sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 225 g wholemeal(or plain) self-raising flour 25 g cocoa 75 g dried cranberries 100 g white chocolate chips 100 g milk chocolate chips 12 pecan halves (optional)
Mix together the butter and sugar in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
Add eggs one at a time making sure to mix well everytime.
Add vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and cocoa into the bowl and mix well.
Add in the cranberries and chocolate chips and combine well.
Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
Shape the dough into 2-inch (about 75 g) balls - yields 12-14 pieces.
[Optional] Press a pecan piece on top of each of the balls.
Arrange the balls about 1-inch apart on greased baking trays. Flatten them slightly. If necessary bake in batches.
Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Leave on the tray for about 5 minutes and transfer on a rack to cool completely.
I've never had blondies but have read about it in some American magazines for years. It intrigued me enough to put it in my list of things to bake if I have a chance. One came up recently when a colleague had a leaving do where we usually bring all manner of snacks and sweet things for everyone to partake.
My verdict? It's essentially a cookie dough baked in the shape of a bar or square. The dough have to be light in colour of course, afterall 'blondie' is the name. So nothing really like a major discovery here but it is delicious just the same. I adapted the recipe from the excellent The New Best Recipe (by Cook's Illustrated) cookbook.
Blondies
230 g [1 3/4 cups] plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp fine salt 185 g [3/4 cup] unsalted butter - melted and cooled 300 g [1 1/2 cups packed] light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 200 g [1 cup] chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, or combination) 1 cup pecans (or walnuts, macadamia nuts) - chopped
Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
Grease and line a 13x9-inch baking pan with baking parchment.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Mix the melted butter and brown sugar in another bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time while whisking.
Add vanilla and mix well.
Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Do not overmix.
Next, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts and mix well.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 23-25 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan a wire rack.
Remove from pan and transfer to a cutting board and cut into bars.
This is more on the periodically running saga of using up ingredients about to expire. We had several bars of excellent Cailler baking white chocolate from my sister in Switzerland. It was expiring at the end of last month so we had to think of a way of using it very quickly! Fortunately, the cookie recipe we found in the Nestle website was really spot on. And it was so easy that my youngest was able to do all by herself. I think we just made a few adjustment on some ingredients and reduced the cooking time. Other than that it was really really good and delicious especially for a first time bake by a 13-year-old.
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup [250 g] butter - softened to room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 1/4 cups plain flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda [baking soda] 1/4 tsp fine salt 2 cups [350 g] white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
[Optional] Grease and line baking sheets.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and both sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.
Add vanilla and the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Mix in the flour mixture in batches into the butter mixture.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the white chocolate chips until well combined.
Form into balls, about 1-inch in diameter, then arrange on the baking sheets making sure to leave enough room between for it to expand.
Bake for 11-12 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
