The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, I get really carried away with cravings for specific foods.  Prime example: chocolate chip cookies.  Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies?  And I know that everyone always talks about the "best" chocolate chip cookie, whether it best the New York Time's best chocolate chip cookie recipe, of the "world's best" chocolate chip cookie recipe, or maybe some famous chef's version of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  But for me, this one is it.
It's taken some tweaking and some little edits here and there, but this is now my constant go-to recipe, my version of "the best chocolate chip cookies."

A lot of the measurements are by weight, and seriously if you don't have a digital scale, stop reading this sentence right now and go get one.  Okay, are we all good?  Because digital scales will change the way you bake.  First of all, measuring your ingredients by weight is far more accurate and allows for more precision in baking.  One hundred grams of flour will always be one hundred grams.  But one cup of flour on one day might be more than the next day, depending on how well sifted the flour is.  So please, use a digital scale.  Also, less things to wash!  Just place a bowl on your scale, zero it, add one ingredient, zero it, add your next ingredient, and so one.  Easy peasy.

Now about the actual recipe: it has molasses and brown sugar which makes it chewy, it has just enough depth from whole wheat flour (although you can ditch this if you want and just use the all purpose), it has just enough salt, and these cookies taste delicious even when you bake them the same day that you make the dough.  I stopped believing that was true of cookies for a while.  I was making batches and batches of cookies, baking half immediately and half on the next day and all the recipes I tested did not taste as good if you didn't chill the dough.  This recipe though?  These cookies are delicious.  And, these cookies taste good hot.  Because honestly, I've found that most cookies don't taste good hot.  Most cookies are way better after you've let them cool.  These babies are tasty all the time.  Basically, I'm repeating myself over and over again.  This recipe is wonderful and these cookies are delightful.

More importantly, I've included in the recipe below, all of the notes that I put into my recipe when sending it to my sister who has previously messed up break-and-bake chocolate chip cookies.  If you follow all my notes in the recipe, you will be golden.  You will look like a pro.  So be kind to yourself and your loved one: make these.  Bake these.  Eat these.  You will find happiness.

Revisiting an old recipe

Rosemary, Pine nut, and Pumpkin Seed Shortbread Cookies

I've written about these cookies before.  In fact, the last time I wrote about them, it was also right before Christmas.  That fact is merely coincidental.  It's not that these are holiday cookies per se, but they are unique in their flavor and texture and I like making them because they are different and delicious.  I came back to this recipe -- making a few changes, of course -- because I had been on the search for the prefect recipe to send to B.

B. is the one who cooks for me.  He is the one who dances with me in the living room.  And he is currently living an ocean away from me.  As part of his Christmas gift, I decided to send him cookies.  This may sound like a simple decision, but in reality, it was one that I agonized over for weeks.  Yes, weeks.  I couldn't send mediocre cookies.  I couldn't send cookies that he'd already tasted before.  And I had to send cookies that would travel well, since even with fast shipping, it was likely to take about 5 days for them to get to him.  

These cookies were winners.

These Rosemary, Pine nut, and Pumpkin Seed Shortbread Cookies are both savory and sweet.  Browned butter and ground, toasted nuts and seeds make the cookies very fragrant.  The rosemary and vanilla add an earthy sweetness.  There is nothing like these cookies.  They are flavorful, incredibly easy to eat, and so different that no one who you serve this to will forget about them.  (It may help that rosemary aids with long-term memory).  And don't worry, despite all the savory sounding ingredients, these cookies can most definitely be served as a dessert item.  They are also great as a gift since they can be easily packaged and they keep for a good amount of time (as do most shortbread cookies, since they aren't particularly moist).

These cookies made it safely to B.'s doorstep last night and now that they have his stamp of approval (and his mother's!), I share the recipe with you.

Merry (early) Christmas!

The Best Ginger Cookies you'll ever eat in your life

Really.  Stop your searching.  This is it.  These are the best ginger cookies you'll ever eat in your life.

They are spicy, intoxicating, slightly chewy cookies with crispy edges.  They smell delicious and they taste amazing.  They are so good I'm scrapping all the other recipes I've ever tried.  I've made these cookies four times in the past week.  I can't get enough of them.  I have no more left and just thinking about them makes me want to go whip up a batch right now at 3am and bake some just so I can eat some more.  Thank goodness it's the holidays so this kind of behavior isn't deemed too inappropriate.

These cookies are laced with ginger.  They have ground ginger, fresh ginger, and crystallized ginger.  I know most people don't keep the last ingredient in their kitchens commonly, but it is worth it to buy yourself some.  I bought mine on Amazon for a very reasonable price.  The crystallized ginger really adds great warmth to the flavor of the cookies and are an integral part of what makes the cookies spicy in a mellow, round way (not at all overwhelming).  The original recipe doesn't call for browned butter or cinnamon, but I love the depth of flavor the browned butter adds to the cookies and the fragrance and warmth that the cinnamon imparts.  They are perfect for the holidays.  They are just the kind of thing you want to share with family and friends, and they are delicious with a tall glass of milk.

I'm salivating just writing about these.  I think I'm going to have to make another batch.  I think you want to too.

Two Types of Gingerbread Cookies

As I mentioned in my previous post, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap has been bringing dozens of cookies to bloggers across the nation for the past couple weeks.  I thought about baking my popular oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or maybe my caramel scented chocolate chip cookies, but I've already posted both of those recipes, and according to the rules, this recipe had to be an unposted one.  I also wanted the cookies to have a holiday feel to them, something to snack on with a cup of milk in hand, while wrapping presents (you know, if you're the type to wrap presents early).  So I went with a quick and easy gingerbread recipe that requires no wasted time rolling and cutting shapes.  In fact, if you don't want to, you don't even have to chill the dough.  It has just enough ginger to be lightly spicy, but is well balanced by cinnamon, all spice, and cloves, and gets just enough of a little kick from some black pepper.  The recipe for these gingerbread cookies makes about 40, which is just perfect, since one batch was enough to mail a dozen to three random food bloggers.  Olivia over at Love, Life, and Pictures was one of the recipients, and she took this gorgeous picture of the gingerbread cookies I sent her.

If you're looking for a more adult, more dark and spicy cookie, this second recipe is for a more mature crowd.  They are laced with real ginger and rum.

Food Blogger Cookies Swap

I've been blogging about food for a while now, but I've never really gotten involved in any major food blogger projects.  No Daring Baker, no Weekend Herb Blogging, no nothing.  But this year I stumbled upon The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  The idea behind this project was essentially a giant secret Santa but the only gift you could give/receive were cookies.  Sound like fun?  I think so.

Each participant was given the name of three other food bloggers and then the giver's job was to bake 3 dozen cookies and send a dozen to each receiver.  And in turn, the giver would later receive three different boxes of a dozen cookies each from other bloggers.  Now that the cookie swap part is done, on Monday, all the participants will be posting their cookie recipes on their blogs.

I received my first package on Monday, some caramel scotch bars from Table Talk and Walk.  Today I got two packages.  The first was some egg nog cookies — their flavor was spot on! — from West Coast Girl East Coast Life.  The second package contained some of the best cookies I've ever received: ginger snap cookies makes with three different kinds of ginger, made by Nora (I'm including her name, since there are two bloggers who post to that site).  With this cookie swap, I can say that there really is no better feeling in the world than receiving a package and knowing that there are baked goodies inside with your name written all over them.

In a few days I will post the recipe for the gingerbread cookies that I baked and sent out.  In the meantime, here are some enticing pictures.

Caramel-Scotch Bars

Eggnog cookies

Ginger snap cookies made with three kinds of ginger... yum!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hesitated for a long time about sharing this recipe.  It's not because there's anything wrong with it; quite the opposite, actually.  I wasn't sure about sharing this recipe because as much as I love sharing food and knowledge, I also like to keep some secrets.  This was one of them.

Since high school this was, and still is, my most popular recipe among my friends.  In fact, my best friend (and at one point boyfriend), Josh still raves about them.  It was my go-to gift for him: Valentine's day, Christmas, and random surprises.  The majority of the time when I made these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, at least some of the cookies were going to him.  In fact, I still associate this recipe with memories of him and thus these cookies always make me smile.

Last summer, Josh asked me to teach him the recipe because he wanted to use it to bake cookies for someone he was interested in, and then just a couple weeks ago, he asked once more for the recipe and instructions.  He isn't much of a cook or baker, so when I came home (to Maryland), we got together so that I could show him how to make these cookies.

It wasn't until I started showing him that I realized how much more goes into making food than just the ingredients.  There are very specific things that I do that I sometimes forget to write down because, having done them so many times, the steps seems so logical to me.  For example, not using cookie dough right away.  Even before the New York Times came out with its "research" on how to make the best chocolate chip cookie (which I still haven't tried, because I like my cookie too much), I was freezing or refrigerating my dough for at least a day.  At first it was for the convenience of time.  In high school I couldn't afford to make cookie dough and bake cookies in the same night; it was too much to do after coming home from track or cross-country practice with all my homework to do as well.  But then I noticed that my cookies had a better texture when the dough wasn't used right away.  They spread less; they were chewier and more moist; they caramelized better.  I've also learned how truly important it is to cream the butter and sugar for long period of time and to beat in the eggs, milk, and vanilla until the "batter" is essentially frosting.  The lightness of the cookie depends on this step.

What is posted below makes enough dough for two tall cylindrical plastic containers (the kind you get from take-out Chinese food) of cookie dough, and makes enough cookies for at least 4 or 5 trays of baking.  These don't spread a whole lot—that’s what the refrigeration step does for you—but I also shape my cookie dough “balls” into thick pancakes, and so I can fit a good number of fat cookies on each sheet, maybe 9.

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are light, moist, and relatively healthy.  They don't have an over abundance of butter or sugar, and I think their texture makes them more fun to eat than plain chocolate chip cookies.  They'll keep for about a week at room temperature, in an air tight container, but sometimes I will freeze them or refrigerate them after baking.  In the fridge they will keep for about two weeks; in the freezer, about a month.  I know that sounds strange, but I like the taste of cold cookies sometimes.  Because of their airiness, the cookies never actually freeze to an icy hardness, but instead get very cold, and the chocolate chips snap in your mouth in a very satisfying way.

Also, as a testament to how good these cookies are, I couldn't even snap a picture of all of them after baking, because they were gone so quickly.  I do like the close ups, though, and the very first picture on this post gives you an idea of what size my cookies are so you can have that reference for baking times.

Happy baking!

Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies

I'm sorry to do this, but I think I ought to give you all one last potential holiday recipe, and because these past few days have been crazy, I shall post this recipe without pictures. This will just be a one time thing though. (Well... I can't make any promises)

These Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies are delicious, with a mild nutty flavor, and they carry a beautiful background tone of rosemary. I have yet to make these for someone and have them be received with anything other than pleasure and enthusiasm.

If you're dying to know what these things look like, I can tell you that they are beautiful sand colored cookies and absolutely worth making. These cookies are great for gift-giving, or just as a quick dessert to wrap up a good meal. They also work great with a cheese plate.

Happy Holidays!

Rosemary & Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart

½ cup pine nuts
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pulse the pine nuts and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped and combined.

Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until smooth. [Note: It may be necessary to pull out the blade and scraped down the sides so that everything is evenly incorporated.]

Add the flour. Pulse until dough comes together and is fairly smooth.

Turn out dough onto saran wrap, and form a log with a diameter of approximately 2 inches (give or take). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

Unwrapped the dough and slice the cookies into ¼ inch rounds. [Optional: dust with coarse/demerara sugar]

Transfer to an aluminum or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until just golden, 13 to 15 minutes.

Let cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (if they last that long) at room temperature.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

Sugar Cookies from Blue Duck Tavern

I have told you already that my family doesn't really do sugar cookies. I don't really do sugar cookies. I've always been prejudiced against them because they seemed so... simple, so one-dimensional. I wasn’t going to waste my time making them when I could make cobblers or lemon bars or tarts. And the idea of going out to a nice restaurant and ordering sugar cookies? Absolutely absurd. Why would anyone do such a thing?

Well now, I would like to issue my sincere apologies. I am sorry, sugar cookie. I underestimated you.

After the deliciousness that was Blue Duck Tavern, I decided that for the better part of two decades, I was wrong about the sugar cookie. It was time to give the poor thing a chance. I didn’t want to just try my hand at any old sugar cookie recipe though; I wanted Blue Duck Tavern’s recipe. Luckily enough, I am not the first to have been smitten by those darlings, so with just a little bit of research, I found the recipe online.

Of course, being me, I couldn’t follow it. I wanted to, I tried to, but old habits die hard, and I’m just one of those people who can’t follow a recipe even if their life depended on it. I can’t even follow my own recipes. I can never make the exact same thing twice. Perhaps the problem is that I really never use measuring spoons. And I enjoy substituting things with whatever I have on hand.

As such, I replaced the unsalted butter in the original recipe with salted butter. I always use salted butter when baking. I think it provides more depth of flavor and helps balance the sweetness of a dessert. I also noticed that the original recipe called for 1 1/3 cups sifted flour. Feeling a little lazy, I decided to cut down the things I would need to wash afterwards by not sifting the flour. Instead, I used my normal measuring method, which means I used my measuring scoop to “fluff” the flour first (this can also be accomplished with a fork or spoon), and then I gently scooped up the flour I needed and I leveled it off by shaking side-to-side. This method works 99% of the time when baking. In this case though, I probably should have paid heed to the fact that recipe specifically asked for sifted flour. In the future, since I am still too lazy to sift my flour, I will edit the recipe to 1 ¼ cups flour, not sifted. Lastly, I also used vanilla sugar in place of vanilla extract. I did this because 1) I had no vanilla extract on hand and 2) the vanilla sugar I have is excellent.

We buy this in France and it is deeply scented with vanilla, not like the timid vanilla sugars that you get from at-home experiments. I use it most of the time when I am baking and things require vanilla, since I like the flavor it imparts more than the flavor you get from vanilla extract.

Ultimately, the cookies were not the same as the ones we had at Blue Duck Tavern, but this was to be expected. I think the next time I try this recipe, I use a decreased amount of flour (look above) and then refrigerate the dough overnight to allow the flavors to deepen and meld, and for the moisture of the egg to really set in.

The final cookie was a little sandy and crumbly, like shortbread cookies. I attribute this to the fact that I may have added a little too much flour. I think next time I will use a scale to measure how much flour I use so I can scale up or down more precisely. The taste of the cookies was good though. Obviously, not restaurant level, but good enough for me to save this recipe for future experiments. I will report back when I redo this recipe and tell you if it's improved.

Sugar Cookies
adapted from Blue Duck Tavern’s recipe

1 1⁄3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1⁄3 teaspoon baking powder
1½ sticks (6 ounces) salted butter
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
7.5 grams vanilla sugar (or ½ tsp vanilla extract)
1 egg

For rolling: 2 tbsp white sugar + 1 tbsp demerra sugar (if you have it on hand)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter with 2 tablespoons white sugar and the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Mix in the dry ingredients.

Place the 2 tbsp white sugar and 1 tbsp demerra sugar in a clean bowl. Using a small ice-cream scoop, shape little balls of cookie dough and roll each in the sugar. Bake 11-12 minutes on the top rack, until the cookies are just browning at the edges. Remove from the pan and cool. Transfer to an airtight container, or your belly.

These cookies will keep about 4-5 days at room temperature in an air tight container.

Yield: approximately three dozen small cookies

The cookies, rolled in sugar, before going into the oven

Caramel-scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seriously. These cookies smell like caramel, and they are the best chocolate chip cookies you will ever taste. Throw out all those other recipes. Don't bother trying other news ones. This is it.

I have made this recipe twice in the span of 5 days. Clearly they are a hit. The first batch I made larger cookies, which ended up about about 3-4 inches in diameter after baking, I probably got about 20-25. These I baked for about 13 minutes. Some of them were a little too gooey in the middle for my liking, and so I baked them a little bit more, and then got really nice and chewy, not brittle/crispy, which I liked.

The second batch I made smaller cookies, using my little scooper (one that can also be used as a melon baller). These cookies baked to about 2-3 inches in diameter, and I got about 35-40 cookies. I baked these for about 10-11 minutes. Some of them turned out a little crisp for my liking, but still tasty.

Also, be forewarned that the molasses and brown sugar in the recipe CAN yield a cookie that looks very dark in color as it bakes. It is in no way burnt though. Just full of a wonderful butterscotch/caramel aroma.

Lastly, silly me!, the second time I used baking powder by accident instead of baking soda, and realized my mistake earlier enough, so I just increased the amount to 1 tsp baking powder, and the cookies turned out just fine.

Bouchon Bakery style chocolate chip cookies
adapted from a Serious Eats recipe

1 cup plus 3 tbsps all purpose flour
*½ tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
9 tbsps (1 stick plus 1 tbsps) salted butter, softened
1 tbsp molasses (I used Grandma’s Original unsulfured)
½ cup packed brown sugar (I used light, although the original recipe suggests dark)
¼ cup plus 1 tbsps granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla sugar)
1 egg
sufficient amount of bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli’s, and I think you can really add as many or as few chips as you want)

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, aluminum foil (I used the Release kind), or use those handy silica/silicon baking sheets
• In a large bowl, beat butter and molasses until combined
• Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy
• Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until combined.
• Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. (If desired, you can sift the dry ingredients together beforehand, but I find that a waste of time, plus it adds to the things you have to wash afterwards. Measuring out the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stirring with a fork is good enough)
• Stir in the chocolate chips (If you are a nut person, this recipe all works great with finely chopped almonds or pecans)
• Refrigerate overnight. This allows the egg to be absorbed by the flour and for the flavors to really develop. If you plan on baking these cookies much later, you can also freeze the dough. Using the cold dough also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much as they bake
• Shape the dough into balls and space them about 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for 10-15 minutes. (See note above about size)
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then remove them and cool completely on a wire rack/in containers (if you’re lazy about washing the wire racks).