The HomeStretch...

As the semester comes to a close, times are hectic for everyone. As a result, I have had barely enough time to eat, let alone time to bake cookies. Strangely, I've kind of missed the baking. Who'd a thunk it?? However, tomorrow I will have time to bake that final batch before the end of the semester. This is an important batch because I will be sharing these cookies with my classmates. I'm a little nervous. However, I know that if I focus on what I'm doing and pay attention to my measurements they will turn out fine...hopefully!

Rubbing off...

I suppose that learning how to bake The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie has given me a certain amount of confidence. Recently, i have found myself trying out other recipes that I would usually not even think about attempting. For instance, this past weekend I made a coconut pie (from scratch!!) and a Strawberry--and get this--TWO layer cake. Granted, the cake was out of a box and the icing out of a jar, but it was still a big hit on my family's dessert table at Easter lunch. I think that learning how to follow the recipe for the cookies and learning about how important it is to be precise when baking has not only given me confidence, but it has also helped me learn how to enjoy baking.

Batch 2 & The Co-Workers...

My co-workers were a little more helpful in giving me some constructive criticism than my neighbors. In fact, it was interesting that one of them was actually able to pick out the fact that I had used more salt this time than last time. As a result, she suggested that the cookies would be better with less salt. Another person suggested that I use more chocolate chips and less "cookie" because she just really likes chocolate. A very valid point! However, she did admit that this suggestion was based more on her individual preference which I should take with a grain of salt (hahaha) since she is a self-professed Choc-a-holic.

Overall, I found these comments very helpful, especially about using less salt, and I plan to take them into consideration when baking Batch 3!

Batch 2 & The Neighbors...

Well, the cookies were a big hit...again...with my neigbors. I'm not sure how much this has to do with the how good the cookies really were or because they were just so glad to have something homemade given to them. Either way, they gobbled them up and even offered to pay for the next batch! Does this mean that my cookies are of the quality that would allow me the chance at an entrepreneurial endeavor?!?!?!? I really don't think so!! However, the compliment was greatly appreciated and motivation for making the next batch.

I haven't been back to work to hear the comments from my fellow co-workers but never fear...you will be the first to know as soon as I do!

Batch Two...

On Sunday, I bit the bullet and made batch two. I don't know why I was dreading it so. I guess I was just thinking about how much work it takes to get to the final result. In fact, my neighbor who was eagerly awaiting the taste of a homemade cookie straight from the oven said, "I can see why people do slice-n-bake now. This is a lot of work!" But then again, when you're trying to make The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, I guess that should be expected.

In making this batch, I realized that I had done somthing wrong last time: I didn't separate the wet and dry mixtures. You're supposed to mix up all the wet stuff and the sugars in one bowl, all the dry stuff in another and then mix them slowly together. I'm not sure what difference this makes but I thought that I should follow the directions as written.

I also made some changes that I had mentioned earlier. First, I used regular chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Batch 1 just didn't seem as sweet as I thought they should be and my testers (see earlier blog) seemed to agree. Second, I made them smaller. The cookies seemed to large last time which made them a little more cake-like than I prefer. I had a bigger cookie sheet than last time so this meant that I didn't have to use 10 different panfuls in order to make them the right size.

The only feedback I've gotten so far is from my neighbor who enthusiastically said that "homemade DEFINITELY beats slice-n-bake!!"

Sorry For The Delay!

Sorry I've kind left everyone hanging. Things have been a bit hectic in my life over the past couple of weeks. But I'm back in the game now! Hopefully I will have time in the next couple of days to get around to trying out Batch 2!

Just so you know, I didn't completely forget about baking. In fact, I actually made a few purchases that I thought might be helpful in making Batch 2 the "perfect" batch.

First, I bought a bigger cookie sheet so that I could make the cookies smaller and not have to make 4 pans full. Then, I got a wooden spoon. Sounds silly, I know. But the whole time I was making Batch one, I had a really hard time stirring with the spoons I already have. Hopefully these little additions will prove to be worthwhile purchases!

No Cookies This Week...

I've decided to take a break from my quest to make The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie this week. Next week I'm going to try Batch 2. Hopefully the feedback that I got on Batch 1 will prove helpful for Batch 2. We'll just have to see...

Survey Says...

Well, the results are in and the cookies were a hit. Though I’m not ready to deem them The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (it was only Batch One!!), most people seemed to think that they had real potential. Here’s what they said:

Boyfriend:
Thought they were a little too thick and cake-like and not quite sweet enough
Suggested that I try using milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet
Neighbors:
Didn’t have much to say other than, “Yum!,” and “When are you making more?”
One roommate did suggest adding a little more salt
Colleagues:
They actually liked the size of the cookies and the fact that they weren’t “super” sweet

After talking with my tasters, I think that there are two main things that I will change when I make the next batch. First, I will replace the semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies with milk chocolate ones. Next, I will make smaller cookies (even if it means making 15 pans full and letting the pan cool “completely" between each batch-see previous entry).

Even though Batch One turned out pretty well, I think that with these minor changes, Batch Two just might reveal the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Batch One...

Well, I did it! I made my first batch of cookies. I measured every ingredient precisely and followed each step of the instructions exactly as they were written without any deviation. Everything was going great and I was positive that I had in fact made the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie! That is until it came time to put the dough on the baking sheets. Apparently, the recipe is supposed to make 30…yes, 30…cookies. Who has that many baking sheets if you space out each cookie like recipe advises? Not me. And what’s this business about letting the baking sheet cool “completely” between batches? Who’s got that kind of time? Again, not me.

Needless to say, I did not make 30 cookies. Instead, I thought that I would make each cookie slightly larger than suggested. What could it hurt, right? In my opinion a bigger cookie would be ideal since you can tell anyone who asks that you only had one cookie (even though it was the size of two) and not be lying. Sounds like a plan to me. So, 21 cookies sounded close enough to me.

Once again, the recipe was right. Instead of having cookies that were the texture of cookies, they were more like little cakes…kind of. Whatever they were like, they were too thick for cookies. Fortunately, they really didn’t taste that bad… in fact they were rather good…they just weren’t what one would consider the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Despite this, I couldn’t let them go to waste. Besides, this whole endeavor is about learning to make the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie so if would be pointless if it happened on the first try (even though that would really boost my baking confidence!!). So, I boxed up my cookies in cute little plastic containers, because everyone knows that it’s all about presentation, and shared them with my neighbors and co-workers with the understanding that they would provide me with constructive criticism. I’ll let you know what they said next week…

Gathering the Ingredients...

After picking the recipe for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, it was time to get the ingredients together. Originally, I thought that I had a lot of the ingredients that I would need to for the recipe I had chosen already in my pantry. However, I soon discovered that I did not have anything but the very basics like eggs, sugar, and salt.
It was a cold and rainy Sunday and I thought it would be the ideal day to stay inside and bake.

So, recipe in hand, I headed to the store. Since I was also picking up other groceries as well, I didn’t realize that I had left the recipe in the car until I was all the way in the back of Wal-Mart and I could hear the rain pounding on the metal roof above me. I was ready to just forget baking for the day…as good of an excuse as any…until I had the bright idea to check out the recipe on the back of a bag of chocolate chips. How different could it be from the one that I had chosen? Apparently very!

After returning from the store, I unloaded all of my ingredients on the counter so that I could check my recipe to make sure I got everything I needed. Though I had all of the ingredients, per say, I began to realize that getting the ingredients for a cookie recipe is not as black and white as I had originally thought.

Below, I will try to decode the recipe that I have chosen in an attempt to spare people from the ingredient confusion I experienced:

Unsalted Butter:

Most butter is salted so you have to look for the package that specifically says “unsalted.” If, by chance, you can’t find it or forget it (hey, it happens), you can use regular butter but omit or use less of the salt that the recipe also calls for.

Dark Brown Sugar:

This one is a little more negotiable. Light brown sugar should be fine.

Sugar:

No biggie here.

Eggs:

Pretty straight forward.

Pure Vanilla Extract:

There are two types of vanilla extract, “pure” and “imitation.” Most serious bakers will advocate for the use of pure extract, however, the imitation kind will work, too.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Chunks:

This is really more of a preference, I think. If you like your cookies a little less sweet, stick with the semi-sweet. If not, I would suggest the regular (sweet) ones.

All-Purpose Flour:

This is VERY important. Most people have “self-rising” flour in their pantry because it is what most recipes call for. However, it is NOT the same as “all-purpose.” Self-rising flour has an added ingredient that causes things to rise which is not what you want your cookies to do.

Baking Soda:

Not “powder.” You're looking for the stuff in the yellow box that your mom kept in the fridge to keep it smelling fresh.

Salt:

The stuff in the shaker is fine.

Choosing the Recipe

After scavenging the internet and a few cookbooks (but mainly the internet), I have chosen a recipe that I think has the greatest possibility to result in the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. Fittingly, the recipe originally debuted on the Food Network show, “How to Boil Water.” Though this recipe would most likely not be worthy of well seasoned pastry chef, with a four out of five star ranking out of 161 testers and a level of “easy,” I felt like it was just the recipe for me. But, frankly, what drew me to this particular recipe was the fact that I had most of the ingredients already in my pantry. As a poor student, this played a much more prominent role in my decision making process than it should have, but nevertheless, here is the recipe that I chose:

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:
Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans.
Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies.
Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.