The Chocolate Chip Cookie Affair

Darlin' Mark was here for just a few brief days and now off again. He's gone to the land of beer and cheese to get all educated on things he's only been doing for the last 30 years. Got to love corporate America! So I find myself back here in the holler with no one to feed or pester again and had to come up with ways to pass the days until he returns for yet another fleeting moment.

I have spent countless hours over the years trying to come up with the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. And about 3-4 years ago thought I had found my one true cookie. It is a delicious cookie and has been my go to recipe since that time. And while I have never been disappointed, I have always had that nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe there's something more out there.

Then Cook's Illustrated made me an offer I couldn't refuse. A deeply discounted online membership opportunity that opened the door to thousands of recipes. And there, right before my eyes, they were boasting the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I was able to resist the temptation to stray at first. But as the hours passed and I couldn't get the image of those gorgeous cookies out of my mind, I found myself back at the site flirting with this exciting new find.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that many things about these new cookies were very much like my present cookie. Melted butter, higher brown to granulated sugar ratio and a combination of egg and egg yolk are all part of the foundation of my cookies. But the exotic allure of using browned butter, dark brown sugar and a higher fat to flour percentage was more temptation than I could resist. I had to see what I might be missing.

Freakin' good cookies! That's what I've been missing. The browned butter bumps the richness and depth of flavor up several notches. Using dark brown sugar with the browned butter gives the toffee undertones that Cook's promises. The texture is wonderful, slightly crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. And they have that wonderful gourmet cookie appearance with the beautiful crackling on top and a warm brown sheen. I love chocolate chip cookies!

Because of my personal obsession with sweet and salty things, I bumped up the salt in the recipe. And I also plan to make the next batch with walnuts or pecans, haven't decided which yet.

In addition to the flavors brought about by the ingredients above, Cook's indicates that the specific process for whisking and resting the batter during the process allows the sugars to dissolve more completely creating the chewy texture. They also discovered that the larger cookie size makes it possible for the contrasting crisp and chewy parts of the cookie, rather than one consistent texture throughout.

Once again...my issues with AV equipment return. I discovered a dead camera battery just as I started browning the butter and I just couldn't deal with the Iphone photo process.  Alas, I shall produce photos of some of the more pertinent steps of the process during the next batch and share those for reference.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie  (adapted from Cook's Illustrated) 

Makes 16 Large Cookies

Ingredients

1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
14 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Process

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour and baking soda together in small mixing bowl, set aside.

In medium skillet, melt 10 tbsp of the butter over medium high heat. Once melted, continue to cook lightly swirling the skillet constantly while the butter browns. Cook until butter begins to turn golden brown and has a nutty aroma. 

Using a heat proof spatula scrape browned butter into a heat proof bowl and add the other 4 tbsp of butter and gently stir until completely melted. 

Add sugars, vanilla extract and salt and whisk until combined.

Add egg, egg yolk and whisk until completely smooth and no lumps of sugar remain. Let rest for 30 seconds and then whisk again for 30 seconds. Repeat this step 2 more times. 

Using spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until combined.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using, making sure all flour has been combined.

Divide dough into 16 portions, 8 cookies per sheet and bake in 2 batches until edges start to set and lightly brown and centers still look moist. Approximately 12-14 minutes, rotating half way through baking. (Mine baked in 11 minutes so just keep a close eye on them the first time to determine baking times for your oven.)

Remove pan to rack to cool and store in airtight container. 

In case you're wondering, these cookies are an excellent choice for dinner when all alone in the holler on a Sunday night.