Monday, July 28, 2008

My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookie


Ah... who doesn't love a good ol' chocolate chip cookie with a tall glass of cold milk? Whether you're 5 or 55, this has got to be one of the best indulgences in life. For me it is anyways. So when I stumbled on this, I knew I had to try the recipe out for myself. Just looking at the picture in the top bar makes me drool. I do admit I am fussy about my chocolate chip cookies. Depending on my mood, I could go for the small, crunchy nuggets of chocolatey goodness at Famous Amos, but more often than not I love the big, chewy-type cookie which I like from *blush* Subway. Yeah yeah whatever, I like the cookies there. I wouldn't mind me some Mrs. Field's as well, but they're a heck of a lot more expensive. And you don't find too many Mrs. Field's stores here anymore. At least not near me. I do remember the good ol' days when there used to be a Mrs. Field's store at HV, and if you go after a certain time the cookies go at half price. Good times. But Subway... they're like every friggin' where. Although I must say, I've bitten into their cookies before only to be disappointed because they were much too hard, most probably because they were stale. Which sucks. Another thing which sucks is those weird cakey-type confections that try to pass themselves off as cookies. I think the cookies at the A Club are kinda like that. I'm not such a fan.
But yeah, on to the recipe. I tried making them in the recommended 3.5oz. size, which turned out really huge. So then I tried making some a bit smaller, which I think I prefer. Whatever floats your boat really.

Chocolate Chip Cookie
Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1¼ cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1¼ tsp baking soda
1½ coarse salt
283g butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks (I used chips cos that's all I had)
sea salt

Directions:
1. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add chocolate and incorporate them without breaking. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. The dough can be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line baking sheet with parchment or non-stick baking mat.
4. Scoop 3½ oz. mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet. (Make sure to space them far apart enough, or you'll end up with one humongous sheet cookie.) Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake until golden brown but still soft in the center, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Best eaten when warm.

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