Thursday, October 2, 2008

My Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies


I love a chewy chocolate chip cookie. The cookies I'm about to describe are just the best. I started making them when I was in college, and eventually gained a following: My friends made me call them whenever I baked up a batch--usually triple the recipe I'm about to give--and they'd put in their orders. Eric wanted them underdone in the centers, so I took his batch out of the oven after 7 minutes. Matt preferred his a bit crispier on the outside, so that tray stayed in 9 minutes. Bree usually ate the dough with me--roomie privilege. I really don't know where the recipe came from. Honestly, I think it's an adaptation from the back of the Nestle or Tollhouse chocolate chip bag. And it is so good. 

Not only are these great as chocolate chip cookies, this can be a basic dough for any cookies you want to make. When I want oatmeal cookies, I leave out the chocolate chips and add a handful of oats and some dried cherries and cinnamon, maybe a pinch of cloves or allspice. Sometimes I add shredded coconut with the chocolate chips, and maybe some macadamia nuts. I'll bet hazelnuts would be fantastic, too. Play with it--this is just a starter recipe. Make it your own! (I won't tell.)

Sarah's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from something, sometime)

3/4 cup butter-flavored Crisco (Yes, it uses Crisco. Get over it.)
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
2 T milk
1 T vanilla extract
1 egg
1 3/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like a blend of semi-sweet and milk, and sometimes white, chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cream Crisco, brown sugar, milk, vanilla in lg. bowl. Mix until creamy. Stir in egg until well-incorporated. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture gradually. Stir in chips. (The dough will be really soft.) Spoon or use a disher (mini ice cream scoop) to place globs of dough on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges brown. Cool 5 minutes on tray, then gently move to a cooling rack.

This recipe should make about 30 cookies.



2 comments:

Anna said...

I'm getting fatter just reading this post. Or perhaps it could be that I ate 10 of these last night. Sweet lovin', those were some amazing cookies.

Stephanie said...

Those cookies look and sound amazing. Of course, chocolate chip cookies are my weakness. These just might belong in their own sub-category in the Seven Deadly Sins!