All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Monday, March 22, 2010

the perfect chocolate chip cookie? (almost!)





After several sunny, warm days I was all set to rake out the garden, but when I woke up this morning the sky was overcast and the air chilly. When your agenda changes suddenly, you just have to roll with it, so I headed, of course, to the kitchen.
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I had in mind trying a different chocolate chip cookie recipe than the two I usually make, so I logged on to TasteSpotting and typed it in. I knew I wanted a plump cookie, slightly cakier than the ones I've been making. I spotted a beautiful cookie from Habitually Hungry, and when I clicked on it, it sent me to Cooks Illustrated for the recipe. And what a recipe! Four pages of explanations ( and illustrations) led up to a scrumptious browned butter and semisweet chocolate recipe that I could sense was going to be a winner. The batter is allowed to rest several times, to avoid that gritty sugar problem you run into every once in a while. And, while I opted for raisins over walnuts, I would definitely go with toasted nuts next time . The toasted nuts would mesh beautifully with the nutty browned butter. So, is it the best? I ran over to my friend Jenny's house to get a second opinion. In between the "mmmmm's" she mumbled, "I think....mmmmm, yes, almost." So we agreed on almost, which just proves that every single cook and baker in the world thinks there's an Absolutely The Best recipe out there, just waiting to be found, but this is really, really close.
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To find the recipe, click here.
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What I'm reading:
by Katherine S. White

8 comments:

Kirsten said...

Katrina, they look delicious, even if they are just almost the best(hard to believe).

she's in the kitchen said...

Wow, Kirsten - that's some view you have out your kitchen window in Colorado!
About the cookies: the browned butter makes for a rich, buttery dough - one reason this is such a delicious cookie. It also makes a cookie that isn't too dry, isn't too thin, just about right!

Kitchen Apprentice said...

The cookies look delicious. I find it really difficult to make cookies that are soft and little moist - I always seem to end up with cookies that are too hard and too dry. The cookies in the picture really look like they have just the right amount of moisture in them. Will have to give this a try.

katrina said...

KA - these are moist as long as you don't overbake them. The recipe calls for between 10-14 minutes (obviously depending on the size of the cookies as well as the erraticness of oven temps) - I would shoot for 10 minutes, maybe 11, or before the cookie turns golden. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Eli loved them! He kept saying, "I like this cookie!" And I kept sneaking into the kitchen for just one more until alas there wasn't one more.

katrina said...

This must be Jenny! I'm delighted Eli loved them and hope that Perrine and Brook got a nibble or two.

Barb said...

I just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies the other day. When I took one pan out of the oven and set it on the rack to cool a bit, somehow it slipped off the rack, flipped over and fell on the floor - a hot cookie mess! So...when the few that are left are gone, I'm going to give this recipe a try. I've never made a cookie with browned butter and it sounds like a great addition and the mixing and resting of the egg/sugar is pretty interesting.

You know, I don't think I've ever met a chocolate chip cookie that I didn't love.

p.s. I had to look at Kirsten's view out her kitchen window - WOW! If that were my view, I'd never get anything done!!!

katrina said...

Oh, disaster, Barb! It's so hard to clean up hot, gooey cookie or cake messes - you won't have a problem with this recipe, since you roll the dough into balls and they are quite semi-firm when baked. Yummy, yummy!
I feel the same way about Kirsten's view: WOW. Have a grand day!