Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

When it's late at night and you're home alone after an awful, long, terrible, useless day of work, and you're out of ice for that glass of whiskey you'd really like to have, there's only one thing left to do:

Bake. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now.


At first I wasn't going to share this recipe with you because, well I spent years trying to come up with the perfect recipe. And I'm selfish like that. But then I figured that the world would be a better, less-alcoholic place if we had these awesome cookies to greet us after a really horribly hard day.




For the record, it was a long, fat-filled, hard road taste-testing all those cookies along the way.


So go make these right this second and see if they aren't just the tastiest cookies you ever done seen. Or tasted. Or whatever.


And then be nice and selfish like me and finish off the last bit of espresso in all the house while you eat half a batch of cookies straight from the pan. You'll be glad you did.

Disclaimer: I figured out this recipe using Israeli ingredients, which are actually quite different than their US counterparts. The sugar granules are bigger. The flour has a different taste. Yeah, I know, it's weird. Just try it, man. And report back to tell me how it worked.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
3/4 c margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 c flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 generous cup dark chocolate chips

Mix sugars. Add melted margarine (I've tried butter and it doesn't leave the cookies as moist. Maybe it has something to do with the melting point of margarine? Any food engineers out there?), vanilla, and eggs. Dump in all the dry ingredients, mix until incorporated. Add chocolate chips.

At this point you could bake them immediately, or you could stick them in the freezer. They get more caramel-y after a good 24h in the freezer, but honestly who can wait?

Plop tablespoons of the dough on a silpat or baking sheet or baking parchment while eating big chunks with your other hand.


Bake ~10 min at 350F/165C. This is the most important part! You want to bake them until they lose the sheen on the top- only just until they stop looking gooey and wet on the top. Cardinal rule of awesome cookie making: DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let cool 2 min on the pan before you take them off, and you will have the chewiest, yummiest cookies ever.


As for me, I'm off to make some ice. :)

4 comments:

  1. They look awesome, even though it involves margarine. I understand your feeling about finding that perfect recipe because I have also gone through a lot of trial and error with butter-based versions before finding a good one.

    I hope you have less horrible useless days at work in the future ;)

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  2. Appreciate your research with Israeli versions of staple food items! I'll remember to come back here when I need chocolate chip cookies.

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