cookie hunt - choc chip cookies #3

One of the many cookie recipes I've tried (I'm making an attempt to eventually blog about them all). cookie recipe It had a lot of promise, but they turned out to be more on the soft side rather than chewy side. I would say not worth giving it another go - plenty more recipes to try :)

Verdict: Not quite the right chewy
Score: 7/10

cookie addiction - choc chip cookies

I've been on a bit of a hunt for the perfect cookie recipe for the past year or so. The hubby thinks I already have found it with the white choc and macadamia cookie recipe (still to post), but I'm not entirely convinced... I'm still searching.

I tried this recipe today. I wouldn't go so far to say they're extraordinary, but they are pretty yummy. Nice and chewy too. But not quite the style of chewy I was looking for - more of a soft chewy rather than chewy chewy - if you get what I mean. But that might have been because the cookies needed an extra minute in the oven - next time I'll remember that's what the second tray is for - to experiment with baking times :) I think the key to my perfect cookie recipe lies in the ratio of caster sugar to soft brown sugar (in fact I'm beginning to wonder if my style of cookie needs any brown sugar at all).

Verdict: Nice soft chewy cookies
Score: 8/10

I halved the original recipe - hence the odd sugar measurements.
Makes about 24 (leaving just enough cookie dough to be eaten on its own)

Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 + 1/8 cups granulated sugar
1/2 + 1/8 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Method
1. Heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. In large bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed or with spoon until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.

2. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.

3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

choc chip cookies - m&s style

The perfect cookie is very subjective - some like their cookies hard and crunchy, some like them soft and chewy, some like them thin and crispy, I'm sure there are many more variations. For me, the perfect cookie is soft and chewy and perhaps a bit sweeter than most normal people would prefer :). I think the best example would be the cookies you find at Millie's Cookies, and the best example of the perfect choc chip cookie would be the ones from the M&S bakery.

Last year, I decided I wanted to recreate the M&S choc chip cookie at home - how difficult could it be? Easier said than done. I think I tried 3 or 4 different recipes - one batch turned out thin and crispy. Another batch came out chewy but the mixture had spread out so much during baking so they were almost paper thin. After trawling through the internet I found this site which has some fascinating information about how to get the style of cookie you want. From here, I found the recipe for the perfect thick and chewy choc chip cookie.

Now, I baked the cookies following this recipe, and was very impressed with how close they came to the M&S perfection. My big mistake however was not noting down the method I used, because it seems as though I did not follow the recipe to the letter! As can be evidenced from my post here. Using soft brown sugar instead of golden caster sugar yielded me a cookie that was more cake-like, which is more of the Ben's Cookies style - not my preferred style of cookie (although I do know people who rave about Ben's).

So here is my recipe for producing choc chip cookies, that are *almost* as good as the ones you get from M&S.

Choc chip cookies
(makes about 24)


Ingredients

• 125g butter


• 3/4 cups golden caster sugar


• 1 large egg (I may toy with using a medium egg next tim)


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 1/4 cups plain flour


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1 cup choc chips

Method


Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough in 1-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto lined baking sheets.

Bake in the oven until cookies are lightly browned, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool.