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| Love you Mom!! Don't worry, the bear's not real :) |
In honor of my mom, who never let me eat raw eggs (aka cookie dough), I figured it would be appropriate to post about some chocolate chip cookies... the best chocolate chip cookies? That's what Cook's Illustrated claimed, and I had to find out for myself!
A fan of America's Test Kitchen (at least, when I used to watch cooking shows on tv), I love their scientific approach to finding out which things worked best and telling you why! It's the why that helps you learn in the kitchen, giving you tools to become a better cook/baker/recipe creater/etc. Cook's Illustrated is also my first stop when it comes to buying new kitchen equipment for reviews!
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| Cook's Illustrated-approved |
Ok, the cookies. I followed Cook's Illustrated's recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookies, browning butter (most amazing smell ever.), weighing my flour, using CI-approved semisweet chocolate chips... and threw in some of my own tests ;) I just can't leave well enough alone!
There was a reason though... I was going to use my (very well seasoned) stoneware, as I do for pretty much everything else, and wasn't sure if this would affect their baking. My first batch was with parchment paper, the second was not. I liked the way they baked up without, so I continued on and then tried out a smaller cookie.
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| Does size matter? |
The winner? The smaller cookie, at least in my book. I'm wondering if this had to do with the stoneware or my bigger cookie scoop (the silver one in the above photo). Looking at the pictures it appears that my bigger scoop is a #20 and they called for a #24... oops!
Of course, both sizes of cookies were delicious (I tested both, just to make sure). And don't tell my Mom, but I tasted some of the dough... I know, I know, but it contained browned butter! Browned butter!! One of the more amazing smells your kitchen can create. Browned butter should definitely be used more often. And I continue to be enamored with the melting properties of the Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chips.
Who can resist a warm chocolate chip cookie? Clearly, not I.
Have you tried CI's recipe for chocolate chip cookies? Or have another that you think is better? I might need to do some more testing...
29 comments:
The browned butter in the batter is making me want to bake a batch of these cookies ASAP! They look great.
Yum, I love browned butter - I want to try this!
ooooh yummo!!!
My mother also tried to teach me not to eat raw cookie dough. Tried. And failed. I occasionally think more dough gets eaten than cookies made. If I threw browned butter into the mix...that would surely happen. These look SO good!
My mother would only let me eat a little raw cookie dough when we would make cookies. My cousins and I always swore that when we got older and had our own houses, we were going to have chocolate chip cookie dough parties and only serve cookie dough. Somehow these parties never happened.
I'm happy to hear the small ones turned out okay. I decided to follow the recipe to a T for the first try, but next time I want to try making smaller cookies.
I love seeing all these renditions of the CI cookies. I plan to make them very soon. And thanks for experimenting with smaller cookies! I was curious about that.
I love this chocolate chip cookie experimentation! I think they look delicious!
I am on a journey to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I've stuck with the nestle one for years, it's time for me to branch out! And these look fantastic! Thanks :)
These sure look terrific, so great with browned butter.
My mother never let me eat raw cookie dough...which is why I rarely do it as an adult! Your cookies look great!
These were AMAZING! As I noted before, I don't know why cookies are ever made with anything other than browned butter. I liked the smaller ones better, too. :-)
I have to admit that my favorite is the KAF chewy chocolate chip cookies. http://pink-apron.com/2008/08/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
I'm a HUGE fan of chewy cookies so these definitely take the cake for me, although I'm always up for trying new recipes because otherwise I get bored in the kitchen.
Brown butter definitely makes these a winner! I like your blog's focus, I'm always looking for healthy new recipes!
I have the Light Recipe by Cook's Illustrated - not a big fan of the choc chip cookies in that book but everything else has been amazing. Maybe I screwed it up somehow. Yours look delicious, although you lost me on smaller cookies are best. ;)
My favorite ice cream at Toscanini's is a brownie and brown butter flavor. It is incredible. Try it at home :D?
<3 ya,
Michelle
Love, love, anything from Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen - I've never failed at any recipe I've tried.
Those cookies look amazing - love the addition of brown butter!!
Haven't stopped by in a while - things have been hectic - hope you had a great weekend!
I love these cookies! I did change them a bit to mimic another cookie I like, but the melted butter is definitely a time-saver.
Cookies made with browned butter are totally the best :) These look just beautiful!
Sues
The CC cookies are fantastic! One of the best plain chocolate chip cookie recipes I've tried.
i like the parchment paper experiment! these look delicious!
How fun. I always enjoy trying out new cookie recipes. I love a big monster cookie. And I also love the WHY (I think its a science major kind of thing ;)). I am not a big plain chocolate chip cookie kind of gal- I like oatmeal added for texture. My big chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites
Your mom is so cute! I am also a big fan of the Ghiardelli 60% chips--they just have such fantastic flavor. When I make hot oatmeal, I like to put a few chocolate chips on top...for energy, of course :-)
It's been way too long since I made a good old fashioned cc cookie! Must remedy this! :)
haven't tried that recipe, but it looks about perfect! your mom is super cute...like you!
These cookies sound yummy with the browned butter. Can't wait to try them.
The best chocolate chip cookies I have had so far are the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html
The addition of the fleur de sel takes it over the top!
I LOVED these cookies! I'm excited to try out the other half of the dough I froze, becuase I did smaller portions, since the original recipes size was a bit big for my taste :) I agree the browned butter makes these amazing!
Browned butter is just fabulous! These look addicting, hope you win!!
oh those cookies look PERFECT!!!
I have been using this recipe for awhile, it is my favorite! I did tweak it by adding 1/2 tsp more salt and I chill the dough before baking-it makes for a fatter cookie.
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