Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know when you're stuck on autopilot? Where you do your normal chores, make dinner, put dishes away, do some laundry, bake a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies without even knowing it?

And whilst you're unconsciously carrying out these tasks, the telly is on and the sound waves just hit you.
Then it happens.
The theme song becomes lodged in your brain like some record on repeat.
OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again. YA. THAT.
You know what I'm talking about.

For example, Six Flag's Old Theme Song or Meow Mix.

Although there are some that just stick with you forever because, well, because you just like them, Oscar Meyer, Foldger's Commercial (my alarm ring tone >_< ) or I Am Stuck on Band Aid, Bologna or Captain Planet (wow I'm dating myself). Let's, just, stop. You get the picture.

Currently Stuck in my head: "Hey Girl-- whatcha doin? Hey Girl? Where ya goin?--Who's that girl? Who's that girl?-- it's Jess!!"

Please, Please, I insist you join me in this repeating melody of my new favorite show, New Girl.

So while baking-- Zooey Deschanel was all up in my head singing. At least she's cheery. Anywho-- cookies. Yes. Cookies.



I took this recipe from the Baking Illustrated Cookbook, my friend Vinny suggested I purchase. It's a pretty cool, sciency-ish book. They test different recipes with different settings. It's more behind what would actually happen as oppose to pretty dessert pictures. Although those are nice as well.

I think the texture was perfect but then again who am I to judge my baking better than all of you? Try it out... let me know your thoughts... reservations... the songs that get stuck in your head often...
I won't judge...

well... ....



ok..
I won't.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
my version because Noeybakes likes to give Zoe a break

2 C + 2T APF
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven 325 degrees, line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix wet ingredients together then add dry until well incorporated.
3) Roll about 1/4C dough into balls, break in half, and put the two bases together w/ jagged edges facing up. (It gives it its "thick shape")
4) Place on sheet 2 1/2 inches apart.
5) Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

If you purchase the book, or currently have it, I took this recipe from page 434.

Enjoy. Tomorrow's Wednesday! You know what THAT means! 2 more days until the weekend!

Who's that girl.... .Who's that girl..... Who's that girl....?

It's Noeybakes.



ok, that didn't work. Better luck next time.

Happy Noviembre ;)

Hope everyone had a fun filled halloween weekend! I know I did. Spent a little time with my family and my bf's family. BF's mom was helping me out also. She called herself the pseu-chef :) Anyways, I made both days because I figured there was a big request/cravings for chocolate chip cookies so why not? I made the first batch and decided that there were too many cookies so we rolled the left over batter in wax paper and placed it in the freezer. BF's sister doesn't know it but she has homemade chocolate chip cookie dough in her freezer. Well I guess she does now :) You're welcome! hehe And now for recipes:

Day 3: Bakerella's Milk & Cookies

recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 14m
perfect CCC (1-10): 2

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.
With a mixer, beat butter and both sugars until well blended.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Add flour mixture in two additions until combined.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
Use a mini ice cream scoop to drop cookie dough on a parchment covered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

NM Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 10m
perfect CCC (1-10): 6

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.


Now that you have the recipes here are the pictures:

Bakerella's & NM's

The overall consensus was that everyone loved both of them. Doesn't really help, does it? Well on continues the searching. 3 more left. So far Lovin' From The Oven has everyone beat :).

Until Next time.........

Noey

Day2: Lovin' From the Oven's Recipe

Spent the night at the bf's sister's house. She has a fabulously big kitchen and convection oven. It's 10x bigger than mine but then again everyone's kitchen is probably bigger than mine. I woke up early and just decided to continue the Chocolate Chip baking challenge. I had my favorite little helper with me this morning as well =)

Lovin' from the Oven's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies



recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 15m
perfect CCC (1-10): 10

This has to be the BEST cookie recipe I've ever tasted. According to my research group, Jimenez Family & the bf, it's the best tasting recipe, EVER. I can't really comment on how deeliciously yummmy the cookie was. Just make it. Sorry I'm demanding but it's for your own good ;). The first batch that came out of the oven, everyone was all excited but then 2 of the cookies fell on the ground :( but that didn't stop the bf from tasting pieces of the ground. Gross, I know. But that's just how good they were. And now for the recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I used 3/4 tsp because I assumed it was 1 tsp so I scooped out 1/4tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour. When it's time, Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Enjoy. Until next time...


Noey

Autumn's first rain

I LOVE fall. I LOVE rain. I LOVE the smell of autumn's first real rain fall. There's something about watching the rain fall that's really calming. On my lunch break I planned to goto Costco to pick up some unsalted butter. Yes JUST unsalted butter. I mean what else could I need in ginormous bulk so badly that I couldn't wait until I got off of work, right? :) So I actually left my lab to go outside and what is this I smell? Rain clouds coming in! I was way too excited for my own good but kept the excitement to myself. My coworker was with me and she hates rain so I would be celebrating by myself anyway. So during this lovely, rainy afternoon I've done a little bit of research and put my findings into an excel sheet. Hey, I'm a biochemist by day, baker by night, don't judge me ;)




Day 1:Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies

Day 2:Lovin' From the Oven's Chocolate Chip Style

Day 3:Bakerella's cookie recipe

Day 4:Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie

Day 5:$250 Cookie Recipe

Day 6:Martha Stewart's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Day 7:Nestle Toll House

There's my basic layout for the duration of chocolate chip cookie craze challenge. I needed a table to show and compare the different recipes I chose just in case the recipes used similar measurements that I didn't replicate it. I also tried to cross check each recipe to see which specific one would yield me with the right cookie that I could dub "the perfect chocolate chip cookie." I also chose to do a 7 day challenge because anything less than 5 recipes would not give me sufficient data and 6 days didn't seem like enough either. Again, don't judge me ;) Ok well please stay tuned for posts. They'll start soon. On a side note, if there aren't any cookie posts I have a few things I'm baking up this weekend for sure hence why I needed unsalted butter from Costco.

Until next time...

Stay dry...

Love,
Noey

Chocolate Chip Cookie Craze Day 1: Cook's Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Started my search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie with The Way The Cookie Crumbles: Cook's Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.

recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: slipat & parchment paper, both were fine
time: 8-10 minutes, 10 minutes made the perfect texture
perfect CCC (1-10): 8.5

I think I would have to try this recipe again. Mostly because I think I burnt the butter :-\ The bf scarfed down most of the batches so I guess that's a good sign. But all he kept saying was "how can you make cookies without any milk?!" :) we had everything in the fridge from half&half to whipping cream. The only whole milk that was there had sorta expired. hehe so he was outta luck but that didn't stop him from eating most of them.


1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whish for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use a #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.



Well all in all I think that this recipe was pretty deeelish, if I'm not being too biased :) But alas the search is still on for the melt in my mouth, almost have to die for the recipe chocolate chip cookies.

Until next time...

x O X o,
Chocolate Chip Cookie Crazed Noey