There are over a hundred billion stars in our galaxy. Says Google, at least. After perusing chocolate chip cookie recipes on-line this week, I’m guessing there are about that many recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Minimum. So do I really need to burden the web with, yet, another one?
It depends. What’s your taste in cookies? The following list meets my criteria for a superb cookie. If you agree, there’s a valid reason for the following recipe to be added to the chocolate chip cookie stratosphere:
#1. The cookie is fat, not flat, with a crispy crust and unctuous, moist, almost cookie dough filling.
#2.) Cookie is packed with the texture and crunch of walnuts, and a lava flow of creamy, melted chocolate.
#3) Cookie is served warm; precisely 10 minutes out of the oven. (Don’t get me wrong–these cookies are still yummy days out of the oven, but the chocolate chips harden.)
My recipe calls for wrapping the cookie dough balls individually, and then freezing them. Therefore, you can bake off the cookies on an as need basis, enjoying them hot from the oven every time. Besides, the recipe only works when the cookies are baked in a partially frozen state–one hour out of the freezer. When baking from a thawed state, the cookie falls apart.
I spent hours last week developing, and then refining, this recipe for my next novel, “The Welcome Home Diner”. It’s a recipe that Samantha, one of the protagonists, created. She wanted her diner to have a signature confection that would be their calling card. Prior to the novel’s opening, she’d worked as a baker at Manhattan’s Levain Bakery, which inspired the following recipe.
Levain is an establishment known for their gigantic, scratch-made, stuff-of-dreams cookies. And there are hoards of food bloggers, such as myself, who’ve spent hours copycatting their masterpieces. I’m pretty sure I got it down. Honestly. As a side-note, one cookie easily serves two.
By the way, I’ve found the ultimate blog for those who love food-centric books. If you’ve read this far into my blog, it could very well have your name on it . It’s called, Ivory Owl Reviews Every week, Rhiannan reads a food-centric book, and then posts her review on Friday. This week she reviewed “The Promise Kitchen”. This is very exciting for me since Rhiannan lives in Atlanta, just like Mallory Lakes–my food-blogging protagonist.
Ivory Owl has also hosted a book give-away for “The Promise Kitchen” that ends on Friday. So check it out!
Hi- I love your website and recipes! Just wanted to share a tip my Gran gave me years ago regarding cookies. Any cookie recipe, and absolutely chocolate chip varieties, tastes better with browned butter replacing softened butter. Also, if at all possible, use European style butter ( most grocery stores sell Kerrygold butter). It is richer and creamier and has a lower water content. To make up for that, I always add a tablespoon ( ish) of heavy cream or half and half to the dough after it is all mixed together.
Just my two cents worth of advice passed down from a lovely old woman ( RIP, Gran) from Belfast !!
Julie–what awesome tips!!! I’ve been doing lots of “Gran” recipes lately, and I love your comments. Esp. since my ancestors were also from Belfast. I have the paperwork framed from when they took the ship over in the 1800’s. Next time I make these, I’m following your (er., Gran’s)
tips. Cheers! Peggy