They burn easily. They harden after 2 minutes. They're only good fresh out of the oven. They can be too thin and crunchy. Too buttery tasting. They're not reliable or consistent. You have to microwave them to be soft again. Uh, I don't have to microwave a cupcake to make it soft- it just stays that way. The hell is the deal Mr. Cookie!?
Hate is generally stemmed from ignorance. If you don't understand- learn. I found an interesting discussion on cookies from Joy the Baker. One of the key variables I learned about cookies is butter matters- creamed vs melted. Creamed creates thin and buttery while melted creates chewy and fluffy.So last night, after extensive research, I decided to declare War on the Cookie and conquer my nemesis. Put on your war paint!!!!
The battle plan of choice is from Alton Brown.
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. I learned that if you don't have kosher salt on hand, table salt is sufficient- just use half the amount.
Pour the melted butter in the mixing bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips- I used Ghiradelli with 1 cup semi sweet and one cup 60% dark cocoa, I love dark chocolate!
Chill the dough- this allows the ingredients to have a chance to absorb each other. 4 hours is recommended but not mandatory. I only did about an hour. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about 6 cookies per sheet.
Bake for 13 minutes or until lite golden brown. On the second batch, use a shorter cooking time because the pan is already hot. Cool completely and store in an airtight container- it will make a big difference.
I have to say it... these cookies came out delicious. And the best part- they stayed moist! They're on the thicker, soft, chewy side. I'm starting to see some possibilities in the land of cookies.
