I always have a soft spot for sweet nibbles. Whenever I pass a Famous Amos with trays of freshly baked good looking cookies out of the oven. I literally feel the chocolatey buttery aroma pulling me in to surrender my only $10 note in exchange for a bag of freshly baked cookies. That was me almost 20 years ago and now watching the queue at the shop now, patiently inline for a bag of freshly baked cookies. I, like many others, I realize, all grown ups, simply just couldn't resist.
Upon a time, about decade ago, I set out my ever long journey to bake the most amazing chocolate chip cookie ever. Never before had been so determine with a recipe. With trials and adaptation from dozens of cookbooks, I've found the ultimate chemistry and had been using this recipe for almost a decade now. First baking for my colleagues whilst I was working in Hong Kong then, for the restaurant as free nibbles for serving it beside a cup of coffee, well, it make the expensive cup of coffee more justifiable. and also as gifts favors for The American Women's Club, The American Consulate and numerous parties and events in Shanghai. This time, I want to share it with my friends, little sweet treats delivered to people that matters.
Until recently, I found out that the oven is actually working, I couldn't stop baking. The pleasure of mixing and filling the kitchen with aromas of freshly baked cookies. Packaging with love for family and friends during the Christmas. It's more than a humble cookie.
The ingredient of a good cookie: TIME
Time makes the cookies even yummier. With the extra rest time in the refrigerator, It lets all the ingredients, the wets and drys, allowing time to get to know each other and marry the flavors to produce a handsomer more flavorful cookie.
Testing out the cookies at different intervals: The dough will be drier and the baked cookies had a pleasant, if not slightly pale, complexion with a 12 hours rest. The 24-hour mark is where things started getting interesting. The cookies browned more evenly and looked like handsomer, more tanned older brothers of the younger batch. The biggest difference, though, was flavor. The second batch was richer, with more bass notes of caramel and hints of toffee.
Going the full distance will have the greatest impact. At 36 hours, these cookies baked up the most evenly and were a deeper shade of brown than their predecessors. Surprisingly, they had an even richer, more sophisticated taste, with stronger toffee hints and a definite brown sugar presence. these mature cookies won, hands down.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Ingredients
125g salted butter, softened
200g brown sugar
60g, 1 large egg (I use 2 egg yolks for a richer cookie)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
220g plain flour
¾ teaspoon smallish-medium coarse sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Method
Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is pale and fluffy with a paddle attachment (approx. 5 minutes on medium speed on a KitchenAid Mixer.)
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.
Now, wrap dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 36hrs.
After 36hrs, Let dough cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 175 ˙C.
Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop, plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press down lightly.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. We baked ours for 12 minutes, just watch them. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 5 minutes before serving.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
(Shared & adapted from my good friends Agnes Wong)
Ingredients
110g plain flour
60g unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hersheys)
125g salted butter
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
125g dark chocolate covertures (75% coco content), melt with butter
200g dark chocolate chips (75% coco content)
120g caster sugar
120g brown sugar
120g eggs (2 large eggs)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy (Optional)
Melt butter and chocolate over bain marie or in microwave set on low for 30 secs, stir and for another 30 secs till melted together. Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with paddle attachment. Add sugars, eggs and vanilla, mix on medium speed until combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Roll onto logs on parchment paper, refrigerate for at least 24 hours for flavors to develop before slicing and shaping flat on baking sheet. Bake at 175 ˙C about 12-14 mins. The cookies are still soft on baking sheet. Let cool 5 minutes or until it firms out before transferring to wire racks.
-Till next post, ss.
Labels: baked goods, chocolate chip cookie, christmas cookie, dark chocolate, Dessert, double chocolate chip cookie, gift favors, recipe, sweets
