Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 5 dozen
Ingredients
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz bag)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 14 cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbs unsalted butter
- ¾ cup scant dark brown sugar
- ⅖ cup superfine sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1¾ cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp Maldon sea salt or Kosher or any flaky salt
- 6 oz dark (bittersweet) chocolate chopped into large chunks
Instructions
- Put the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Cream together using a paddle attachment on medium speed, a hand held electric whisk or a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes until paler but not fluffy. (Do not mix for too long; if you beat the mixture until superlight and fluffy, that will cause the cookie to deflate later when cooking.)
- Add the egg and beat over medium speed until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (all the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt), then fold into the butter mixture using a rubber spatula until combined.
- Add the chopped chocolate and fold into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Immediately scoop out heaping 1/4-cup portions (about 60 grams),roll into balls and place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours. (If space is tight, you can condense them on one sheet before refrigerating then redistribute among two sheets before baking.)
- The next day, heat the oven to 350°
- Make sure the dough balls are evenly spaced out among two baking sheets, as they will spread. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes (or 15minutes if baking from frozen), until the cookies are puffed and golden at the edges. You want the middle to be ever so slightly not-quite set.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet; they will continue firming up as they cool. Once cooled, eat! (These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The balls of dough will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer.)
Tasty Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup bread flour
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 2 Tbs water
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 oz dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium or large saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. The larger the pan you use, the quicker the process will be!
- Bring the butter to a boil, stirring frequently. As the water begins to boil out of the butter, the milk solids in the butter will separate, sink to the bottom, and begin to toast and brown. As this begins to happen, make sure to stir constantly so the butter browns evenly. It may become quite foamy, splatter a bit, and be difficult to see, so keep a close eye on it, removing from heat and continuing to stir if it starts to foam over.
- Once the butter has turned a nice nutty brown, remove from the heat and pour into a large liquid measuring cup to stop the cooking. Allow it to cool down for a minute or two, give it a stir, and carefully add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the butter to bring it back up to 1 cup (240 ml) of liquid.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature. To help speed this process up, you can place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. You want to make sure the butter is still liquid when you’re adding it to the dough later on, so make sure to remove after 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the sugars, vanilla, espresso powder, and cooled brown butter. Cream together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the egg and yolk and beat until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients, about ⅓ of the mixture at a time, and beat between additions until just incorporated. It’s okay for there to be a bit of unmixed flour on the edge of bowl, this will be incorporated in the next step.
- Using a wooden spoon, fold the chocolate chips and chunks into the dough.
- Scoop the cookies onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 3-tablespoon-sized mounds.
- For optimal flavor, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or, even better, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Evenly space the dough 3 inches (8 cm) apart from one another on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 12-14 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Molasses Sugar Cookies
consider doubling the recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ sticks butter soft but not warmed or melted
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cup flour
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Soften butter, let cool
- Add sugar, molasses and egg. Beat well
- Sift together flour, soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt
- Add to first mixture. Mix well. Chill
- Form into 1" balls. Roll in sugar and place on greased cookie sheet 1" apart
- Bake 350° 8–10 minutes
Broiled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 18
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2½ cups bread flower
- 12 oz chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the butter completely before mixing in the sugar, molasses, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix in the baking soda and two cups of the flour. Add more flour until dough appears wet but is not terribly sticky.
- Refrigerate dough for at least 30 min.
- Pre-heat oven to 375° F
- Form the chilled dough into balls the size of golf balls. Smash them into the shapes of hockey pucks and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. This should yield about 18 big cookies, spread across three pans.
- Turn on the broiler and broil the tops of the cookies, one pan at a time on a high rack, until golden. Return the oven to 375° on its baking mode, allow the broiler to cool for a moment, then bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
Rum Balls
Servings: 20
Ingredients
- 8 ounces stale chocolate brownies crumbled
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup dark rum or as needed
- 4 oz dark chocolate
Instructions
- The amount of rum you add depends on how cakey and/or dry your brownies are, but for a half-pound, you’ll probably need between 1/4 and 1/3 of a cup to soak the crumbs sufficiently.
Notes
From Scott
Boozy Balls
Ingredients
- 2½-3 cups crumbled wafer-type cookies
- 1 cup ground nuts
- 1 cup powdered sugar more for coating
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp booze
- 3 tbsp honey or other syrupy sweetener
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder if appropriate
Instructions
- Starting with 2 1/2 cups of cookie crumbs, sift the dry ingredients together in a big bowl.
- Dissolve your syrup in the booze, then add it to the dry ingredients and stir everything together until it forms a cohesive, moldable mound. If your dough is too sticky to work with, add more cookie crumbs.
Beet Chocolate Cookies
Servings: 5 dozen
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup beet puree (about 2 medium beets)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Optional add toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 (12 ounce) bag white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cook the beets in boiling water until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Test a beet by poking it with a fork — if it comes out easily, the beet’s done. Peel the beets while they are still warm. Roughly chop them and puree in a blender with the buttermilk, until smooth. Cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter with the sugars. Add the cooled beet puree, cocoa powder, vanilla, vinegar, salt and egg, and mix to blend. Add the flour and baking soda and mix as little as possible to fully incorporate them. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Using a 1 1/4-inch ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon, form 1 1/4-inch balls of dough and place them on the parchment-covered baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (This is a sticky dough, so working with your hands isn’t easy.)
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, cover another baking sheet with parchment paper and place about 12 dough balls on each sheet — they will spread a bit. Bake at 350 for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Chewy Surprise Cookies
Servings: 48 cookies
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups butter-flavored shortening
- 1-1/2 cups peanut butter
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (10 ounces) Milk Duds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Shape 4 teaspoons of dough around each Milk Dud so it is completely covered. Roll balls in remaining sugar.
- Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks.
Condensed Milk Cookies
Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix butter and condensed milk. Add salt, baking powder and flour, and mix just until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Hedgehog Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or margarine softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Melted Chocolate chips
- Crushed walnuts
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Form cookies (in an oval shape with a pointed end) and place 2″ apart on on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool on wire racks.
- Dip 3/4 of cookies in melted chocolate and then in crushed walnuts. Dot two eyes and a nose!
Notes
August 2014