A Mom Moment

Some time ago, Fine Cooking (issue 56) did an article on Chocolate Chip cookies. They played around with the Toll House Cookie recipe to adjust for a personal preference of crispy or chewy cookies. The ingredients are the same, but some changes in the amount of butter and flour and also the temperature of the butter and eggs were made. Ever since, I have made the recipe for the Crispy cookies instead of the Toll House recipe. I just think it tastes better than the original. But last night I decided to make the Chewy Chocolate Chip cookie recipe because I know the boys like a chewier cookie (and I like trying new things.) While they were out playing after dinner, I quickly put the batch of cookies together. And just as they were just coming in, the first tray of cookies was coming out of the oven. I had freshly baked cookies to offer as dessert. Warm cookies will stop them in their tracks everytime. It was a triumphant Mom moment.

The cookies themselves was good. But they didn't turn out as chewy as I expected. As you can see in the picture they are still a little flat and crispy (and I made an effort to keep the dough cold.) Maybe if I made them bigger they would have stayed thicker, but I followed the directions exactly since it was my first time with the recipe. They are a little softer than my regular ones. But if you like the big monster soft cookies, these aren't it. (That recipe - I'm still looking for.) These are however very tasty. They have more butter than the original Toll House and notice how much vanilla - 3 times as much! Good stuff.

Chewy Chocolate-Chip Cookies

by Bonnie Jean Gorder-Hinchey

To learn more, read the article: Baking Chocolate-Chip Cookies Two Ways

I use butter and eggs right out of the refrigerator so the dough stays cool and the cookies maintain their thickness during baking; I also use ungreased cookie sheets. To keep the cookies soft and chewy, store them in an airtight container along with a slice of bread.

Yields about 9 dozen 2-1/2-inch cookies.

ingredients

10-3/4 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unsalted butter, cold

1-1/2 cups packed light brown-sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, cold

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract

17 oz. (3-3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1-1/4 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. baking soda

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

how to make

Arrange oven racks in the upper and middle positions of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F.
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, starting on low speed and gradually working your way up to high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 min. once you reach high speed. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until blended. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 1 min. Scrape the bowl and beater.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add this to the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended; the dough will be stiff. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded measuring teaspoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto two ungreased baking sheets. Refrigerate any unused dough. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, 8 to 10 min., rotating the sheets halfway through for even results. Remove the sheets from the oven, let sit for 3 to 5 min., and then transfer the cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool completely before baking the remaining dough.

From Fine Cooking 56, pp. 55