1 // This title isn’t entirely accurate. I’m not currently eating these, so “loving right now” is a stretch. Will love these, for sure, when I make them. I’ve never actually made them, however, because of the whole “refrigerate for 24+ hours.” Who has the foresight to predict a Thursday craving and thus prepare batter on a Wednesday? Anyway, this New York Times recipe is apparently the recipe.
2// I’m absolutely loving 25. I know, I’m sort of late to the game. I haven’t ever jumped on the Adele train like others have, but man. The women has got PIPES. “Sweetest Devotion” is one of the best songs I’ve heard lately and is on repeat these days. Loved her acceptance speech too.
3// My friend Janis was wearing these earrings the other day and I couldn’t stop looking at them. They’re porcelain dipped a bit in gold and they just looked so classic (but with a twist) on her ears.
4// This jacket. I feel like I’d treat it as a neutral and wear it all the time. Maybe that would be a mistake, but nevertheless.
5// These Oh Joy bowls for Target. I saw them on the shelf last week and before I knew it they were in my cart. They’re small, so perfect for dips or, in our case, peanut butter for dipping apples in.
I love the army jacket! Is that what it’s called? I’m still looking for one that fits me perfectly.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I’ve been on a personal quest for years to make the best chocolate chip cookie and have tried the Times recipe. It’s good for sure but recently America’s Test Kitchen came out with one (melted brown butter, more brown sugar than white, and hand mixing at intervals)that is just as good and you don’t need all those extra ingredients. Both are 10x times better than original boring, cakey Toll House. I would be happy to share if you want to compare.
YES! The America’s Test Kitchen recipe is so so good! I *try* to keep dough balls in the freezer so we can bake a few off whenever we want. I still like to chill the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours, if I’m making a fresh batch, because we like our cookies cakey. There’s no way I could wait 24 hours!
I haven’t tried this specific recipe, but chocolate chip cookies with browned butter are the best. Now I need to look up the ATK recipe.
That Jacket! It’s beautiful! And Camo! It’ll be your invisible cloak!
I have made these cookies multiple times, and it is absolutely worth the wait. You just have to hide the dough in the vegetable crisper to keep husbands and kids from finding it – they’ll never look for a snack there! I also double up on the vanilla for an even richer taste. Enjoy!
Wow–I have not made chocolate chip cookies in forever, but this post has me seriously considering it!
The NYT chocolate chip cookies are amazing, i’ve been making them for years. Like Elise commented before me, I make the dough and refrigerate it, and then I freeze the douvh balls. It’s been a game changer to have cookies in the freezer at all times, you’re always 12 minutes from a warm cookie.
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Our perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe had to produce a cookie that would be moist and chewy on the inside and crisp at the edges, with deep notes of toffee and butterscotch to balance its sweetness. Melting the butter gave us the chewiness we were looking for. Cutting back on the flour and eliminating an egg white also improved texture and brought the brown sugar flavor to the fore. To give our chocolate chip cookie recipe the crisp edges and toffee flavor we wanted, we let the sugar dissolve in the batter for 10 minutes, then baked the cookies at a high temperature so the edges darkened while the centers stayed soft.
Ingredients
1 ¾
cups unbleached all-purpose flour, (8 3/4 ounces)
½
teaspoon baking soda
14
tablespoons unsalted butter, (1 3/4 sticks)
½
cup granulated sugar, (3 1/2 ounces)
¾
cups packed dark brown sugar, (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)
1
teaspoon table salt
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
1
large egg
1
large egg yolk
1 ¼
cups semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks (see note)
¾
cup chopped pecans, or walnuts, toasted (optional)
Instructions
MAKES 16 COOKIES
NOTE FROM THE TEST KITCHEN Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.
For High-Altitude Baking: Problem: Cookies spread too much in the oven. Solution: Use less sugar. Increase the oven temperature and decrease the baking time. Problem: Cookies are too dry. Solution: Add an extra egg or yolk.
TECHNIQUES
Measure It Right
Even a tablespoon too much or too little flour can have an impact on cookies. Here’s how to measure accurately.
PREFERRED: WEIGH FLOUR
For the greatest accuracy, weigh flour before using it. Put a bowl on a scale, hit the “tare” button to set the scale to zero, and scoop the flour into the bowl.
SECOND-BEST: DIP AND SWEEP
Dip a dry measuring cup into the flour, sweeping away excess flour with a flat edge. This method yields more accurate results than spooning flour into a measuring cup.
Creating a New Classic
Here’s how we improved on the Toll House classic to create an even better cookie.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Equal Amounts Brown and White Sugar
A 1-1 ratio of brown to white sugar creates a cookie that’s neither crisp nor chewy.
OUR RECIPE: More Brown Sugar
Using more brown sugar than white makes for a chewier cookie.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Creamed Solid Butter
Creaming butter creates a cakier texture in cookies.
OUR RECIPE: Browned, Melted Butter
Melting butter contributes to chewiness; browning it enhances flavor.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: 2 Whole Eggs
Whole eggs contribute to a drier texture.
OUR RECIPE: 1 Whole Egg, 1 Yolk
Eliminating one egg white also boosts chewiness.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Beat and Bake
Baking the dough immediately after mixing doesn’t allow the sugar to dissolve as fully as possible.
OUR RECIPE: Whisk and Wait
Whisking sugar into the liquid ingredients and then waiting 10 minutes allows more of it to dissolve, setting up better flavor and texture.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Less Dough
The smaller the cookie, the more uniform its texture.
OUR RECIPE: More Dough
Three tablespoons of dough per cookie increases its crisp-chewy contrast.
Don’t Bake in Batches
Baking two trays at a time may be convenient, but it leads to uneven cooking. The cookies on the top tray are often browner around the edges than those on the bottom, even when rotated halfway through