The Lexingtonienne

January13th

3 Comments

Happy New Year! It’s been so long; how about a quick catch-up in photos?

OCTOBER…

Halloween 2014

Halloween 2014

NOVEMBER…

November 2014

November 2014

DECEMBER…

Eleanora, Charlotte, December 2014, January 2015

Eleanora, Charlotte, December 2014, January 2015

December 2014

December 2014

Eleanora, Charlotte, December 2014, January 2015

December 2014

Eleanora, Charlotte, December 2014, January 2015

Aaaaand that pretty much brings us up to January! I know we all have resolutions to eat better, tone up, and drop some ell-bees. But seriously. Who wants cookies?

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I thought so.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have long been in search of a recipe that would yield just the most perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crunchy around the edges, chewy in the middle, and full of gooey chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think I’ve found it, friends. This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation; it’s a Cooks Illustrated recipe I found via Our Best Bites blog. It uses melted butter to produce a denser, chewier cookie, rather than whipped butter, which incorporates air into the batter and creates a fluffier cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I leave the electric mixer in the drawer and mix these up by hand to make sure they are extra dense and extra chewy. Plus, stirring by hand burns a lot of calories, so really you could consider these “workout cookies.”

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The original recipe calls for a cup and a half of chocolate chips. I don’t think that’s enough, do you? And for these cookies I don’t want little studs of chocolate. I want huge, melty chunks. After all, it’s January. Time to get serious.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I scoop my dough out with a number 40 cookie scoop to ensure uniform size, and then I press a few extra chocolate chunks onto the top of each cookie before baking. I think the cookies are prettier this way. And more chocolatey.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

And a final tip: it’s a good idea to double this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know, in case somebody else wants some.

Charlotte age 17 months eating cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

MY NEW FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (printable pdf)
Adapted from Our Best Bites and Cooks Illustrated

  • 2 Cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 Cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 (11.5 oz) bag chocolate chips OR 3 (4 oz) Ghirardelli chocolate bars, broken into chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugars together until thoroughly combined. (Hand mixing recommended for minimal incorporation of air.) Stir in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients in 2-3 additions. Stir in chocolate chunks.

My version calls for a larger amount of chocolate chunks, and it may be difficult to thoroughly incorporate ALL of them into the batter. This is fine though, as you can use the loose rogue chunks to top off the cookies before baking.

The Cooks Illustrated/Our Best Bites recipe says to scoop out 1/4 Cup of dough, form it into a ball, then pull the ball apart in half, each half forming a cookie. I, however, prefer to use a #40 cookie scoop. Either way, scoop dough onto a foil-lined cookie sheet (for easy clean-up) about 2 inches apart. Top each dough ball with a few extra chocolate chunks.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until edges are set and just barely beginning to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

 

Happy New Year!

Hannah

3 Comments

  • Comment by Erin — January 13, 2015 @ 1:56 pm

    Welcome back Hannah. I think your oatmeal toffee chocolate cookies are pretty perfect already, but if you insist these are better….

  • Comment by Maggie — January 13, 2015 @ 3:39 pm

    Sooo happy that you are off the trapeze and back on the blog !!!!

  • Comment by Bonnie — January 16, 2015 @ 4:49 pm

    Love all the pics. Glad you’re back!!

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