The Cookie

I used to be known for my chocolate chip cookies when I worked and brought them into the office.  My co-workers swore that I had a secret ingredient.  I swore that I didn't, but just followed the recipe off of the bag of chocolate chips.  I actually think my "secret" ingredient was vanilla from Mexico which ran out long ago.  Within the past year, I don't think my chocolate chip cookies have been that great.  I follow the same recipe, but something just doesn't seem right.  I recently saw a recipe for Chocolate Chunk Cherry Espresso Cookies and I was sold!  The base of this cookie is suppose to be THE chocolate chip cookie . . . I just had to try it.

I did buy all the ingredients to make the cherry espresso version, but I decided to try my hand at the original cookie first.  I must say it's pretty tasty, but I'm not sure it's THE cookie.  I might make a few tweaks of my own.  This recipe calls for three kinds of sugar and recommends that you don't use chocolate chips, but chop up the best kind of chocolate you can afford.  While I did buy a lot of chocolate to chop, I ended up using some dark chocolate chips for 10 oz. and then some bittersweet and dark chocolate that I chopped.  I decided that since I don't like chopping chocolate, I would like to try this recipe with just some plain old semi-sweet chocolate chips to see what that tastes like.  The other thing that was really odd is that you set the oven to 360 degrees.  If you have seen my oven, you will know that they markings are almost rubbed off, so I am lucky I can find the 350 degrees mark!  And that's what I set my oven at 350 . . . My cookies baked closer to 11 minutes and I think that was even a bit too long.  I also didn't make all the cookie dough.  As you recall, I just made Valentine's day cookies, so I made a few trays and then froze the rest of the cookie dough. (To do this, scoop out the cookies on a cookie sheet, stick them in the freezer for a little while, and then put them in a bag - you then can bake straight from the oven, although you  might need to add a little bit extra time).

All in all, I do plan on making this recipe again.  Here is the recipe that I used yesterday:

THE Chocolate Chip Cookie (Adapted from Not Without Salt)
2 sticks butter (8 oz)
1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz )
1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz )
1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz )
2  eggs
2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)
3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch)

Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.

Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.