5.11.2010

chocolate chip cookies for the new house

This cookie looked lonely. loneliest chocolate chip cookie So I helped it. lonely cookie Yes, I made chocolate chip cookies. I had to test the oven of this new house to make sure it didn't just look pretty. I thought about calling the new house a home, but the thing is, not all the cookies have been devoured yet. Although, the house is getting there. Probably having some furniture in the living room and the kitchen would help the home front along. The cookies were a good start though. I know I don't need an excuse to make chocolate chip cookies, but how else was I to know if the oven will really cut it? I mean if it burnt all the cookies, or wouldn't bake them at all, then surely we would have to move out, right? Maybe not, but I do like to test out an oven based on it's cookie baking abilities. They can be finicky you know, and I had to double check...just in case. Yes, this IS coming from someone who in her student days was able to bake chocolate chip cookies in a toaster oven. It's not impossible trust me! Just laborious. One of my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipes is from Anna Olson (yes another one of her cookie recipes, but they are great recipes!). Simply fabulous. No extra ingredients for flavour or texture, but this recipe is classic. And yes, the cookies stay soft on the inside from the addition of the corn starch. I now add a couple teaspoons of cornstarch to nearly every cookie recipe, it works that well. Once I have the batter made, I scoop out slightly smaller than golf ball size amounts, with an ice cream scoop, onto a silicone lined baking sheet. armed and prepared The trick is to put the cookies into the oven for a few minutes before removing them to slightly squish with a spatula. Before I squish them, they look a little less than raw, but not too cooked either. I find this keeps the cookies softer, and helps them cook evenly for the last few minutes. I place the squished cookies back into the oven for another 4-6 minutes. It is important to pull the cookies out while they are just a tad golden around the edges, but still appear just a little raw in the center as they will continue to cook. cookie to squish Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Anna Olson Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup golden yellow/light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated white sugar 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1 tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 cup chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Thoroughly combine the butter, and the sugars. Add the egg and vanilla until well combined. 3. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Thoroughly mix. Add the chocolate chips until combined. 4. Using an ice cream scoop, place 8 pieces of dough onto silicone lined baking sheets. Place the sheet into the oven for 4-6 minutes. 5. Remove the pan from the oven and slightly squish the cookies using a spatula. If the dough appears to be too gooey to squish, then place back into the oven for another minute or two. 6. Continue to bake for another 4-6 minutes until the cookies are just barely golden around the edges, and still have a slightly raw appearance in the middle. This will help to keep them soft. 7. Allow the cookies to firm up on the cookie sheets for another couple minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Allow to cool only briefly before transferring to a sealed container, that is if there are any left of course! Enjoy! And do be kind enough to share.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am always searching for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe, and these look divine. Great tips for baking them off, too. I may have to give these a try tomorrow!

gail said...

Haley - if you try them, let me know how it goes! Enjoy!!

gastroanthropologist said...

I love the cookies soft in the middle! I made cookies in my toaster oven in college too (though I bought the nestle dough then as I had no kitchen). I even made cinnamon buns a few times =).

I'm staying with a friend this weekend and think a hostess gift is the perfect excuse to make chocolate chip cookies - not that I needed one!

Niomi N said...

Hey,

Gail

Been so long since we chatted. I;'ve ben following your blog religiously. This new one looks delicious. I'll be sure to try it out and please take a look at my new home ::: http://www.designersroomnyc.blogspot.com

xoxo,

Niomi

Niomi N said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

Chocolate chip cookies are my preferred, I can eat for dozens, and do you make international deliveries? ;)

Cheers,

Gera

gastroanthropologist said...

So I made these last night - very good! I realized that one of my other favorite choc chip cookie recipes (I have lots =)) and one of the ingredients is cake flour which basically has some corn starch in it. You are definitely onto something with the corn starch in the cookies!!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

I always bake cookies first to test a new oven. And make a place smell like home, at least.

Shelby said...

Grumpy loves soft and chewy!!

Global Patriot said...

I've never liked crunchy chocolate chip cookies - they got to be gooey to be good!

Anonymous said...

Great tips! I never would have thought to add cornstarch to cookies for chewiness. Thanks for sharing!

These look SO perfect, and I agree that a bad oven would be grounds for moving out :P

Aaron John said...

These look really good!! It just so happen I made chocolate chip cookies today too :D
Check out my blog :) http://ajscookingsecrets.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Mm, just tried this recipe and it's delicious. I didn't see any difference from smooshing them down, but I think that might be because they didn't rise as much as yours. Not sure why that is, but anyway, yum!

Using cornstarch is a cool idea, I haven't seen that before. I guess the idea is that more starch makes softer cookies, and cornstarch doesn't have gluten so it also won't make them too chewy.

Maria said...

I will have to try these. I love a soft and chewy cookie.

Amanda said...

Anna Olsen's chewy chocolate chip cookies are my favourite (aside from the NY Times one)!!

mypurposeisme said...

Fan-Freaking-Tastic! I've tried SO many recipe's and failed each time. I almost gave up but then you came with a spatula in hand and I couldn't resist. EUREKA! Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful. For the first time my cookies are tender on the inside with a nice cookie shell. I even put chocolate and chocolate peanut butter chips in the batch. I just LOVE you right now. thanks so much

gail said...

mypurposeisme - WOW! So glad you like them too!

Anonymous said...

I made these this morning, and they were delicious AND chewy! I will definitely use this recipe again, it is now my favorite :)

Charlotte said...

I made these today and they truly are the perfect chocolate chip cookies. they're soft and chewy with a perfect outer later. i will be using this recipe again and again!

on a side note-- i did notice that i had to bake them for about 8 minutes after i flattened them. other than that the recipe is flawless!

Bartending Training said...

Amazingly yummy! This really looks delicious! I'm definitely craving for a plate of that right now. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. This is definitely a must do recipe this weekend since I got my Food Safety Training.

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