Chocolate Chip (Chunk) Cookies

I love trying new cookie recipes. I only wish I had more time to devote to it. Most of the time I find myself so short on time I have to change my cookie plans to a bar plan… mainly because bars are the closest things I can get to cookies, but its on one pan thing. Not to mention how I notoriously start doing something else while cookies are in, and I end up burning them. It’s a good thing my dad loves burnt cookies, he gets a pan almost every time I bake cookies. I need a timer that I wear like a dog collar… one that shocks you when you need to come back into the kitchen.

That long intro brings me to this post. One of my favorite blogs is Cookie Madness where Anna cooks up a new recipe nearly every day. I have no idea how she does it… Tonight I wanted to try one of her recent posts… well, it is a link to what she says is one of her favorite cookies. I am a sucker for cookies that call for melted butter. Saves me the step of softening the butter.

The dough came together nicely and the cookies baked up beautifully. I didn’t make them 1/4 cup size, but more of a rounded tablespoon. I used a cookie scoop and flattened them slightly as the recipe calls for. I used two types of chocolate – Ghirardelli Semi Sweet chips, and a 70% cocoa bar from Lindt. I always enjoy the combo of the semi-sweet and darker chocolate. Here is the recipe and the link directly to the recipe on Epicurious.

Oh, and by the way… I really didn’t have a lot of time to do anything tonight, especially baking cookies. I only baked about 12 cookies, and put the rest of the dough in the fridge for the night. The oven was already warm from a Sour Cream Pound Cake that I baked for dh birthday tomorrow. It is one of his favorites… (see upcoming post).

Without further adew, here it is.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Carla Rollins)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 oz) (1 bag chips, 1 70% Cocoa Bar)

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.

Yes, there are chocolate chip recipes everywhere. Everyone has thier own preferences too. Mine are based on my mood at the time. Sometimes I like a crisp, crumbly cookie (fresh though), other times I want a soft chewy cookie. I think if my option is to have a warm one, the soft and chewy would be my choice.

A long time ago I ran across this recipe which uses a dry pudding mix. I really liked it, not only for the taste, but for the way the cookie held up. It was sturdy and soft, but wouldn’t fall apart in your hand. I have used them to make ice cream sandwiches, served hot out of the oven, tossed with some ice cream, and just had a good ole’ room temp cookie. I was not disappointed in any of them. The texture was amazing combined with the soft fresh cookie…even a day or two later.

I know this recipe can be found just about anywhere on the internet, but I am really posting for myself. This way I don’t have to go searching down my recipe. And I have had a couple of friends ask for it too. I made a couple of my own alterations, just for fun. The main internet recipe calls for a vanilla pudding, I use a white chocolate mix. And I use two types of chocolate chips/chunks… it make for a tongue twister on tastes.

Unless you want a ton of dough, halve the recipe – you will see the half measurements to the right each ingredient.

Chocolate “Two” Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (2 1/4 C)
• 2 tsp. baking soda (1tsp)
• 2 cups salted butter, softened (1 C)
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar (3/4 C) 
• 1/2 C granulated sugar (1/4 C)
• 2 (3.3 oz) pkgs instant vanilla pudding* (1 pkg)
• 4 large eggs (2 eggs)
• 1 tbs vanilla extract (1 1/2 tsp)
• 2 C semisweet chocolate chips (1 C)
• 2 C dark chocolate chips or chunks (1 C)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars. Beat in pudding mix until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, then blend in flour mixture. Don’t over mix. Drop cookies by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove when the cookie edges are a golden brown but the center is still soft. Cool on pan for two minutes, then remove to a brown paper bag to help absorb the oils. (this really works well!) Store in an airtight container.