For a year now I’ve been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Wait, I take that back. Not a perfect one, just one that yields cookies I’m not embarrassed to give people other than myself or Ian to eat.
The first recipe I tried was from a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook I have, and those cookies were nasty. They were very, very bland, which I’m attributing to the lack of salt and the addition of Crisco.
The second recipe I tried last year was the same one I tried today, except the first time I made it I used salted butter (that’s all we had). The cookies came out too salty—you could see the salt crystals in them after they were baked.
So this year I double checked with Twitter, got confirmation to use unsalted butter and light brown sugar, and made the recipe again. I followed it to the letter. I measured twice, I mixed thoroughly, I read everything 10 times.
And they’re just… not that good. Ian describes the texture as being more like a biscuit. They’re not very chewy, and I guess I would say they taste almost… grainy? I wonder if it’s too much flour—the recipe calls for 2 and 1/4 cup, which is a lot to mix in, even a bit at a time. I even used the exact brand of flour that the recipe calls for.
Or maybe I packed the brown sugar too tightly? I made sure there were no pockets of emptiness in the measuring cup since the brown sugar was kind of clumpy, but I didn’t pack it so tight that I felt it was more than what I actually needed.
Anyway, here’s the recipe I’m using. I’m at a loss.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used Domino brand)
1 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used unsalted butter)
1 egg
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I left these out)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
Any ideas on what would be causing these to not turn out right? Or do you have a tried and true and tasty recipe for chocolate chip cookies you’d like to share with me?
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Comments ( 7 )
Are you sure it only called for one egg? That’s not a lot of liquid for that much sugar to dissolve in (you’re doing the brown sugar right; it should be firmly packed in the cup). If it were me, I’d up the eggs to two, for sure, for that much sugar and flour.
If that still didn’t seem right, I’d keep my two eggs in there, but switch to half a cup of butter and half a cup of white shortening and see how that goes.
But, if I had to guess, my guess is that you’re short an egg and putting another one in there will make it less biscuit-y and more cookie-y.
Otherwise, that looks like a very solid and standard chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Aunt B. added these pithy words on
Dec 20 09 at
10:31 pm
Hey Meg! I’m not sure about the recipe you posted but Aunt B. is probably right on the eggs part.
I do have a chocolate chip cookie recipe to share with you: http://theppk.com/blog/2008/11/10/chocolate-chip-cookies/ They are actually vegan, the tapioca flour can be found at the tiny little Asian markets here in the ‘Boro (I use the one on St. Andrews) and they are very soft. They don’t get real brown like regular ones but become a slightly shiny pale gold-tan color when done. Very delish, everyone at work gobbled ‘em up and didn’t believe me when I said they were vegan.
Kristen Teffeteller added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
12:18 am
The only thing odd I find about that recipe is the temperature. Should be 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Not to be contrary here, but just one egg is pretty standard. If you want a softer cookie, don’t use butter. Butter makes crispy cookies. You could use half butter and half margarine or Crisco or all margarine and you’ll get a softer cookie. The baking temp/time would help, too. Though it probably won’t hurt anything to add another egg.
Lesley added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
8:35 am
Here’s my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/summertx/2444331178/ In a hurry, it also makes awesome bars. Just spread the dough into one big baking pan and add some extra minutes.
I’ve never baked a batch with only one egg either. So definitely something to consider. Good luck!
Summer Huggins added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
9:58 am
No vanilla extract? I’m with B and Kristen on the other egg.
I made mine this year using the Toll House recipe but with Ghiardelli chips. HOLY CRAPARONI. Pretty friggin good.
jamie added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
2:19 pm
And here’s Malia’s recipe I was telling you about – I can vouch that these things are amazing:
http://livelaughlove95.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/signature-peppermint-chocolate-chip-cookies/
jamie added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
2:20 pm
at the risk of revealing myself to be the true baking newbie I am, I’ve always used the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chips bag and it pretty much comes out perfectly every time.
Sadly, I don’t know enough about baking to know why yours didn’t turn out better… but they sure look scrumptious!
elizabetht added these pithy words on
Dec 21 09 at
5:34 pm
