Chocolate Chip Cookies Mk. 3

In my quest for the best chocolate chip cookie, I tried another recipe. I still think the pudding version wins compared to this one for flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. 
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. 
4. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. 
5. Stir in flour, in small batches.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop by large spoonfuls onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets.
8. Bake for about 10-13 minutes, or until edges are nicely browned.

Thoughts:
These were ok. I feel like there needs to be more salt. They also took a while to brown, 15 minutes or so, but then again, my oven is slow.

Next Time:

• 1 tsp of salt

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Some mornings you just wake up and it's time for chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
3. Add eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. 
5. Add the flour to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, while continuing to beat until just mixed (ending with flour). 
6. Stir in the vanilla and chocolate chips.
7. Line 8 cups in a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners. (I did mini-muffins)
8. Mound the batter into the liners, filling almost to the top. Cook the muffins for 20 - 25 minutes, until a toothpick come comes out clean when inserted into the muffin. (Start checking at 20 minutes, making sure not to overcook the muffins.) 
9. Allow to the muffins to cool directly in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Thoughts:
These were pretty great. They're also pretty easy for a morning with pretty standard ingredients.

Next Time:

• Large muffins

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Pudding Version

I think that while growing up, my favorite cookie has always been the chocolate chip variety. Recently I have expanded my horizons, but the classics are classics for a reason. I found this recipe online and was immediately intrigued, I had tried a few before that when I was first starting to bake more and had been disappointed, and was very pleased by these cookies.

Makes: Roughly 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla (or whatever) pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. 
4. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. 
5. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. 
6. Blend in the flour mixture. 
7. Stir in the chocolate chips.
8. Put dough the freezer for 20-30min
9. Drop by rounded 1/2 tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. 

Thoughts:
I like these cookies, but they aren't as good as some I have had. Maybe the pudding adds too much to the substance. Maybe the fact I used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet plays a factor. Maybe it needs more salt? Overall, I've made these 3 times now and I definitely will again in the future, I think I'm going to try other recipes as well to find the truly best cookie.

Next Time:

• Try a different recipe to branch out. Perhaps Alton Brown's "The Chewy" recipe
• For this recipe, I want to try and add more salt, see if that helps.
• Try chocolate pudding, I used French Vanilla this time.