Cookies!

As promised here is the recipe and the result of the America's Test Kitchen chewy chocolate chip cookies take 2.  These are really fantastic!  How fantastic?  I made then and they were gone within 2 days (20 between me and Kevin - Eliot probably ate 1.5).

They are huge at about 4 inches across, chewy and soft on the inside with a light crunch on the outside.  So good that I doubled the recipe the next weekend and we fought over who got to bring more to work with them to win favor with our coworkers.  I brought mine and they were gone within minutes, seriously I didn't even hear anyone in the kitchen getting them and they were gone!

* A few of my own changes:  I used Earth Balance 'butter' because I can't do dairy right now with Willow's intolerance.  I didn't have any brown sugar so I used all white sugar and cut it by about 1/4 cup and subbed molasses.  I used 1/3 whole wheat pastry flour (love that stuff, tastes like white flour) and no one knew the difference.

Recipe:

For best results, bake only one sheet of cookies at a time. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their chewy texture when cooled.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10⅔ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

4. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

My favorite cookie holder, Ernie.  We had this as kids and I used to get really upset when the head was taken off to get the cookies out.  My brother found this for me at an antique shop in TX and brought it all the way to me for Christmas a few years ago.  I don't think Kevin has quite the love for him like I do but he keeps our cookies safe.

I hear the NY Times chocolate cookie is also a contender in this race for the best chocolate cookie.  If I am up for it after I come down from my sugar high I might give it a try.

Blizzard!

The blizzard was an amazing thing.  The snow started on Friday morning and didn't stop until Saturday late day.  The most amazing part was the wind and fluffy nature of the snow.  It was blowing around so much you could hardly see past the window.  We woke up to snow drifts so high it was hard to open the doors!  

But, we never lost power or heat and so had a cozy day inside.  One of the highlights was cookie making with Eliot.  They were the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made.  I plan to make them again as soon as I pick up some dairy free chocolate chips again.  I think they deserve their own blog post so stay tuned.  

Here is Eliot eagerly waiting for the 10 minute countdown until we could take them off the baking pans and give them a test run.  

Eliot and Kevin ventured out during the blizzard to hike around the yard for about 15 minutes until they couldn't stand the wind anymore.  I waited until it stopped to check out the aftermath.

It is hard to tell how much actually fell because it was so windy.  I think the consensus is around 2.5 - 3 feet.

Eliot was trying to help the neighbors dig out their two cars.  They were 3/4 under snow!  I was very thankful to have a garage.  I don't miss parking bans living in the city.

I think it is supposed to rain today so we will see what happens to all of it.  I think a snowman or two is on the horizon.