Years ago I was approached about the idea of starting a blog. I decided that I simply did not have the time. But this past week, my mother-in-law suggested it again as I stood in line at Disneyland, checking emails, and trying to recreate my french bread recipe for a friend who had lost it in a move. At that moment I realized that I spend more time sending out requested recipes and fielding cooking questions than I would creating a blog that could contain them. So here we are.
To all of you whom I have had the pleasure of feeding in my kitchen, I thank you. I cook because I love to make others happy. You have brought me real joy. A wise woman once advised me to do one thing better than most people and share it. Creating Delicious is the one thing I do best. Whether or not it is better than most remains to be seen, but I believe that true joy can be found in the service of others. So do something you love, do it very well, then share the love!
-Caroline
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Caroline's Chocolate Chip Cookies - The recipe that started it all!
The logical place to start is with my most requested recipes so I'm going to start with my chocolate chip cookies. After spending some time researching the different ingredients and how they affect the final cookies, I tweaked my personal recipe and created my perfect cookie. For me, a perfect cookie was a cookie that retained it's dough-like flavor and soft texture after cooking, didn't spread flat, and yet did not have a cake-like texture.
Tips and Tricks: The secrets are simple, quality room temperature ingredients, and more brown sugar than white. Brown sugar absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and keeps them softer (this is why you can soften hardened brown sugar by sealing it up for a few days with a soft piece of bread) and gives them a more molasses flavor. I use real butter and not margarine. You can used margarine if you want, but it has a much higher water-to-oil ratio and the result is not the same in flavor or texture. I use a 50/50 butter-to-shortening ratio as well. Butter gives flavor, but melts more quickly making a flat cookie...tasty for sure, but FLAT and usually chewy. All good things, but not what I wanted. Shortening has a higher melting temperature so it does not flatten out as quickly, but it doesn't taste good. So, half and half was the solution. The final note is that all of the ingredients should be at room temperature. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait on the butter and eggs to warm up when I crave cookies, so I microwave the butter for 10 seconds and I submerge my eggs is hot water before I begin. Otherwise, the butter you just creamed into the sugar is going to harden and separate as soon as you add COLD eggs.
Caroline's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oven 375 degrees
makes 3 1/2 dozen LARGE cookies
1 cup of real butter
1 cup of shortening
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
1 heaping teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract (a little more if you are using imitation)
3 large eggs
5 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 bag of your favorite chocolate chips, reserving approximately 3/4 of a cup of them
In a mixer using the paddle attachment, blend the butter and shortening together until well incorporated. Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla and blend on MEDIUM speed until creamed (this step is VERY important so don't rush it).
Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each is added. Add the baking soda and then the flour, one cup at a time, on a low speed, being sure to scrape down the bowl. Add the chocolate chips (minus the 3/4 cup you reserved). Be certain that you don't OVER mix the dough. You don't want the gluten in the flour to develop (this usually takes about 10 minutes) or you will have hard cookies.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment or grease them lightly (I like parchment...no clean-up...I HATE clean-up!). Using a cookie scoop (I used one that is 1.5 oz), scoop out your cookie dough, being sure to leave adequate space between them. You will fit eight cookies on a regular cookie sheet or twelve on a large one.
Picking up a few chocolate chips, press them lightly into the tops of your cookies. Putting chocolate chips on the tops is just for looks and not necessary, but you will need to press the cookies just slightly for them to bake evenly either way, so you might as well make them pretty too. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove to a rack to cool.
I don't usually need 3 1/2 dozen cookies at a time, so I bake some, and then place a tray of cookies that are ready to be baked into the freezer. The following day, I remove them from their tray and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. The next time you want cookies, just place them on a tray and let them sit at room temperature while your oven heats.
And that is all there is to it :)
Create something delicious!
Tips and Tricks: The secrets are simple, quality room temperature ingredients, and more brown sugar than white. Brown sugar absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and keeps them softer (this is why you can soften hardened brown sugar by sealing it up for a few days with a soft piece of bread) and gives them a more molasses flavor. I use real butter and not margarine. You can used margarine if you want, but it has a much higher water-to-oil ratio and the result is not the same in flavor or texture. I use a 50/50 butter-to-shortening ratio as well. Butter gives flavor, but melts more quickly making a flat cookie...tasty for sure, but FLAT and usually chewy. All good things, but not what I wanted. Shortening has a higher melting temperature so it does not flatten out as quickly, but it doesn't taste good. So, half and half was the solution. The final note is that all of the ingredients should be at room temperature. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait on the butter and eggs to warm up when I crave cookies, so I microwave the butter for 10 seconds and I submerge my eggs is hot water before I begin. Otherwise, the butter you just creamed into the sugar is going to harden and separate as soon as you add COLD eggs.
Caroline's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oven 375 degrees
makes 3 1/2 dozen LARGE cookies
1 cup of real butter
1 cup of shortening
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
1 heaping teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract (a little more if you are using imitation)
3 large eggs
5 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 bag of your favorite chocolate chips, reserving approximately 3/4 of a cup of them
In a mixer using the paddle attachment, blend the butter and shortening together until well incorporated. Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla and blend on MEDIUM speed until creamed (this step is VERY important so don't rush it).
 |
| After creaming |
 |
| Before creaming |
Line your cookie sheets with parchment or grease them lightly (I like parchment...no clean-up...I HATE clean-up!). Using a cookie scoop (I used one that is 1.5 oz), scoop out your cookie dough, being sure to leave adequate space between them. You will fit eight cookies on a regular cookie sheet or twelve on a large one.
Picking up a few chocolate chips, press them lightly into the tops of your cookies. Putting chocolate chips on the tops is just for looks and not necessary, but you will need to press the cookies just slightly for them to bake evenly either way, so you might as well make them pretty too. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove to a rack to cool.
 |
| Don't forget the milk! |
I don't usually need 3 1/2 dozen cookies at a time, so I bake some, and then place a tray of cookies that are ready to be baked into the freezer. The following day, I remove them from their tray and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. The next time you want cookies, just place them on a tray and let them sit at room temperature while your oven heats.
And that is all there is to it :)
Create something delicious!
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