ISO: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

[Laura B]

I have been on somewhat of a quest lately for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe. If any of you have recipes that are tried and true that produce chewy cookies (I don't like choc. chip cookies that spread and get crispy), please pass it on!

Obviously, I am not looking for a low fat recipe here! But, if any you have a low fat one that you have tried and liked, then I would like to see that one too. I have MasterCook, so I have all of the CL versions that have come up since 1992. Thanks!

[SHERRY]

One of our favorites is the infamous Nieman Marcus recipe, It is on the BB.

Here is another one we like, especially since it is lower fat:
Chocolate Chip Bites

I found this great low-fat recipe in Julee Rosso's "Fresh Start".

1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375*F. Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with vegetable oil spray. ( I just used good non-stick pans)
In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, cream the sugars, oil, egg and egg whites until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix on medium speed until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop the dough in 1/2 teaspoon amounts 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on wire racks. Repeat until all the dough is used.
cal. 26 fat 1.1g
I refrigerate my dough before dropping by tablespoons on cookie sheets. It helps them to be thicker, chewier(sp) Also, don't put dough on hot cookie sheet. this will make them spread out and be crispier.



Another is a recipe I found in a cookbook for jarred gifts. I'll have to look for it and pass it on...



[This message has been edited by SHERRY (edited 11-16-2000).]

[Mamasue]

Laura,

Not too long ago (early in the year), I was looking for the perfect Chocolate Chip cookie and I tried this one from Cooks Illustrated. This is a fantastic magazine, one that experiments and finds the perfect recipe. Well, anyway, this is simply the best and you must try it. They are as the title of recipe states....thick and chewy. And not low-fat by any means....but if you insist on having one it will cost you 5 WW points per cookie. Enjoy!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies/Bars

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour -- (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter -- (1 1/2 sticks)
melted and cooled until warm
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips -- (1 to 2)


1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower- middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in desired amount of chips.

3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Each half will have a jagged surface where it was ripped from the other; rotate each half up so the jagged surface faced the ceiling and press the halves back into one ball so that the top surface remains jagged. (The nooks and crannies you have created will give the baked cookies an attractive and somewhat rough, uneven appearance.) Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, about 9 balls per sheet.

4. Bake, reversing cookies sheets' positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Recipe provided by the editors of Cook's Illustrated.

Weight Watchers: 1 cookie = 5 points

Sue's Notes: I didn't perform the "pull, rip and rotate" thing. Used silpats and also used a cookie scoop which is probably about a good heaping tablespoon of dough. They came out fine.

Source:
"Cook's Illustrated"


NOTES From Cooks Illustrated : Getting the Recipe Right
Most cookies start with creamed butter. Creaming incorporates air into the dough, resulting in an undesirable (in these cookies) lightness. Our thoughts sifted to chewy brownies and blondies, both of which typically begin with melted butter. We tried both creamed and melted butter and found that melted butter did indeed give us the dense, chewy texture that we were after. Then, we tried unbleached and bleached flour to see which would yield the most tender cookie. Bleached flour, with less protein than unbleached flour, helps make the cookie crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender inside. The texture of the just-baked cookies was good, but as they cooled, they hardened.

We turned to the one factor that we hadn't yet fully examined--the egg factor--and found that one whole egg plus one egg yolk keeps the cookies soft and pliable hours after emerging from the oven. Also, cooling the cookies directly on the cookie sheet promotes the soft, chewy texture. Finally, we had a thick, chewy chocolate-chip cookie that could rival any gourmet bakery's.
The simple cookie with the gourmet touch

[Peggy]

Laura B,

Here is my favorite chocolate cookie recipe. The cookies come out very soft and chewy if you don't overbake them. They always come out great! Supposedly, this is one of Mrs. Field's recipes, but I'm not so sure I believe it, so I shall call them...

Peggy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:
2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Add:
4 eggs
2 teas vanilla

Mix together in a separate bowl:
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal (powderize in blender before adding to the flour; measure before powderizing!)
2 teas baking powder
2 teas baking soda

Mix together the creamed and dry mixtures. Then add:
1 - 24oz bag of chocolate chips
1 - 8oz Hershey chocolate bar, finely grated
3 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Make golf ball sized balls and bake 2 inches apart on cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!!

Makes 112 cookies.

Enjoy!

Peggy

[Laura B]

Wow! Thanks you guys! All of these look great. My husband has put his foot down and says he is SICK of chocolate chip cookies because I have made so many this week. However, after Thanksgiving I'll start the cookie baking frenzy again and will try all of these recipes.

[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 11-16-2000).]

[Danielle]

Laura--

A recipe that I really like appears on the back of the Baker's chocolate chip bag. The recipe calls for a box of instant vanilla pudding to be added into the cookie mix. The cookies turn out so soft and yummy, plus they stay very soft, even after a few days. I believe you can use the chocolate chip cookie recipe from the back of a Nestle's Tollhouse bag, but you just have to cut the sugar down from 3/4 cup to 1/4 cup, omit the salt, and add one small box vanilla pudding to the cookie mix. So yummy!

As I'm writing this, I remember that I was supposed to post this recipe for someone else a while back. I had lost the recipe, but just recently rediscovered it when my mom told me I could find it on the Baker's chocolate chip bag. I hope whoever I was supposed to post the recipe for reads this!

[Linda in MO]

These are tried and true and to-die-for! I don't make regular chocolate chip cookies anymore.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies/Brownies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Carnation original malted milk powder
2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chunks OR milk chocolate mini kisses OR chopped Hershey's candy bars (about 4 1/2 to 5)

In a mixing bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, malted milk powder, chocolate syrup, and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes.

Add egg and mix.

In a small bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips and chunks.

Shape into 1 1/2 to 2 inch balls; place about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 2 minutes on pan before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 dozen or so (mine usually make a little over 2 1/2 doz.)

NOTES : These brown faster on regular cookie sheets as opposed to air-bake sheets. I think I liked these better baked on the air-bake sheets. Also, the amount of time they are baked depends on how big you make them.

For more malted milk taste you can subsitute the hersheys chocolate malt syrup in place of the regular chocolate syrup. You can also add toffee bits and pecans to turn them into a turtle cookie. I haven't tried this yet though.

[JLS]

Choc Chip Cookies are right up my alley !!!

Here is what my researched has found:

I use ONLY Nestles Semi sweet chips...

I use the Orginal Toll House Cookie recipe ( on the back of Nestle chips)

-Sometimes I split the called for butter amount into 1/2 amount of butter... and 1/2 the amount of butter flavored crisco.
This works well.

-OR I use all butter...but the key to making the "PERFECT" Toll house cookie is the butter must be softened NOT semi-hard or semi melted. If it is hard the cookies turn into rocks... if it is melted in any way... they over melt in the oven.

One more tip... if they look like they are not flattening while they are in the oven ... when you take them out of the oven slightly drop them on the counter this will flatten them.

Hopefully... I have explained myself well enough for you to understand !

[Beth]

I try variations, but Toll House is still my standard Chocolate Chip recipe. If you can get them, try Ghiradelli's Double Chocolate chips. They are wonderful -- a cross between semisweet and bittersweet.

[mightyh]

I have to agree with whoever posted above. My idea of the perfect every time chocolate chip cookie is the recipe on the back of the Toll House bag--but I use half shortening and half butter. It makes the cookies chewy, but not cakey. They are always PERFECT!!!

[Laura B]

Thanks again for all of your responses. I will keep trying recipes until I find the one that is my idea of the "perfect" cookie. This sure isn't good for my diet!

Beth - I usually use Ghiradelli's chips in all of my cookies. I did try the Double Chocolate chips in one of my batches last week and they were very good!

I will have to try the Tollhouse recipe for sure. I don't know how I have managed to live so long without having made it. Until now, I have always used the "logs" of premade cookies dough. After my cookie making spree, I doubt I will ever buy those again though - they just don't compare to homemade!

[JulieAnn]

We tried the Cook's Illustrated CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE recipe last night. My husband thought they tasted just like Tollhouse but I thought they were better. I don't have a silpat so i just used my regular pan, but I did change racks from beginning to end. They do call for a little less butter than the Tollhouse recipe so this will become my new "take to people in the neighborhood" cookies. I know most of them aren't interested in my appelsauce experimentation. The embarrassing part of the evening - we made them to give to two families - one who just had a baby and then one who just moved in (or so my husband thought) We take the cookies to the house and say welcome and she says, I've lived here for years. I haven't sold the house yet! Yes, we felt a little dumb!

[gertdog]

Another vote for the Cook's Illustrated cookies. The recipe may be fussy, but the results are well-worth it. These are incredibly good! I went through a phase about two years ago where I made a batch of these every week.

[Laura B]

Hey, my old thread came back. I ended my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie with the Cook's Illustrated recipe. Hands down the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever made. Everyone loves them!

[JennieL]

Originally posted by JLS

-OR I use all butter...but the key to making the "PERFECT" Toll house cookie is the butter must be softened NOT semi-hard or semi melted. If it is hard the cookies turn into rocks... if it is melted in any way... they over melt in the oven.

JLS - I'll agree with you on this point. I remember melting the butter once as a kid and the cookies turned out very melted.

Mamasue - I noticed your recipie calls for melted butter, but cooled. Maybe the cooling solves this probelem? How "cool" do you let the butter become?

[Mamasue]

Originally posted by JennieL



JLS - I'll agree with you on this point. I remember melting the butter once as a kid and the cookies turned out very melted.

Mamasue - I noticed your recipie calls for melted butter, but cooled. Maybe the cooling solves this probelem? How "cool" do you let the butter become?

just till room temp should be fine.

[claire797]

Has anyone tried Shirley Corriher's "Cookwise" version?

[gertdog]

I haven't tried Shirley Corriher's version, but I'd be interested in seeing the recipe if you have it and are willing to post! She often collaborates with the Cook's Illustrated folks, so I'd be interested to see the differences in her recipe. You can never try too many chocolate chip cookie recipes.

[claire797]

Originally posted by gertdog
I haven't tried Shirley Corriher's version, but I'd be interested in seeing the recipe if you have it and are willing to post! She often collaborates with the Cook's Illustrated folks, so I'd be interested to see the differences in her recipe. You can never try too many chocolate chip cookie recipes.

I took Cookwise back to the library already so I don't have the recipe anymore. Maybe her recipe is on the internet somewhere? The book had a chewy version, a puffy version and an in between version.

[cindyluwho]

I like the cook's illustrated recipe best too!

[Leonard]

Check out www.baking911.com What a great website!

Patti

[lorilei]

I'm shocked that no one has mentioned this... as Alton Brown appears to be one of many "heroes" on this board.

You might also check this transcipt for the GOOD EATS show. He did an episode about different types of chocolate chip cookies.

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Seaso...Transcript.htm

[claire797]

Lorilei,

There's another chocolate chip cookie thread with Alton's recipes . They've been tried and have had great reviews.

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/show...chocolate+chip

I think a chocolate chip cookie thread starts every 3 months or something and I have to comment in all of them.

At this point in time, the pudding mix chocolate chip cookies are still at the top of my list.

[claire797]

This skaarup person is really into cookies too

http://homepages.skylink.net/~skaarup/cookie.html

.......also likes fudge.

[claire797]

Okay. Here's the "Cookwise" version of chocolate chip cookies. I haven't tried these yet, but might give it a go this morning.

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons of butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of corn syrup
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chips

Preheat oven to 350. On a large baking sheet, roast pecans for 10 minutes. While nuts are hot, stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. Turn oven up to 375. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder in medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream fat and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup and egg. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Add pecans and chips. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Drop batter by tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cookies begine to brown around edges.

[gertdog]

Claire,

Thank you so much for posting this. It's definitely different than the Cook's Illustrated version. If you make them, I'll look forward to your review. Cake flour, butter-flavored shortening, and corn syrup... hmm. Veeeeery interesting twists!

Stephanie

[claire797]

Originally posted by gertdog
Claire,

Thank you so much for posting this. It's definitely different than the Cook's Illustrated version. If you make them, I'll look forward to your review. Cake flour, butter-flavored shortening, and corn syrup... hmm. Veeeeery interesting twists!

Stephanie

I agree. Veeeeeery interesting twists -- not your usual recipe. I don't have any chocolate chips in the house right now so it looks like I might not get around to making these today. I'm sure I'll make a batch before the week is over. I'm too curious....

[claire797]

In the name of science, I had to do it. The results are in and I am eating them right now.

I followed the recipe to a T -- even SIFTED the dry ingredients, which I never do. The Cookwise cookies are good, but not better than the pudding recipe for chocolate chip cookies and definitely not better than the Tollhouse recipe. They are different though.

#1. They are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Not chewy at all, but rather tender/crisp like a shortbread cookie. They snap.

#2. They seem "lighter". That is, I feel like need to eat more to really evaluate them. The dough seemed lighter too -- probably because of the cake flour.

#2. The pecans taste GREAT! Toasting them and coating them in melted butter really makes a difference.

Unless you have a bunch of cake flour and butter flavored Crisco on hand, I wouldn't bother with this recipe. The cookies are good, but they're not as good as the back of the bag recipe. What they have going for them are the pecans. Next time I make Tollhouse cookies, I'll definitely toast the pecans and roll them in a little butter.

I have some dough leftover so I'll be making these cookies for awhile. Then again, maybe I'll just send them all to work with my husband. I need some more opinions.

I kind of bummed because this is the second Cookwise recipe I've made that came out just *okay*.

[gertdog]

Thanks for the review! Interesting results. I'm glad to hear that at least you got a new pecan technique out of the experiment. I'm definitely going to give that a try. It sounds similar to what you're supposed to do to pecans in a butter-pecan ice cream recipe I read recently.

That's the thing about cookies... it's only the "best" chocolate chip cookie if it's the one YOU like best!

I am going to try the pudding cookie recipe soon... sounds intriguing.

[claire797]

The pudding cookie recipe is really good. Do you still have it? If not, let me know and I'll post it again. It's in one of the old threads above.