I've finally completed the first round of cookie reviews. Sorry I took so long, but here they are:
“Mrs. Fields” Chocolate Chip, by Mrs. Fields Famous Brands
It was probably a mistake to start with a cookie this good; I have a feeling this is going to be the yardstick by which I measure all other prepackaged cookies. They're big, thick, soft, and come one to a package. They're also available in both milk and semi-sweet chocolate. I was surprised when I first found this out; you are never supposed to use milk chocolate in baking. However, there's not much of a difference between the two. I had to eat several of them before I could distinguish one from the other.
Although there's no way they can stand up to the real thing, I have a feeling that this is probably the best prepackaged cookie out there. We shall see ...
“Grandma's” homestyle Chocolate Chip, by Frito Lay
From the fine people that bring you Fritos. The package says, “quality since 1914.” I don't buy it. I did, however, buy and eat these cookies, which come in a pack of two and might possibly have been on the shelf since 1914. They are not as big as Ms. Field's, nor as thick. They do however have enough chemical additives and preservatives that I wouldn't doubt their ability to survive 94 years unchanged. I think it is a good indication of what we are dealing with here that there is more BHT in these than vanilla.
“Linden's” 3 Large Chocolate Chip Cookies, by Linden Cookies
I've never had a cookie quite like this. First off, they aren't soft cookies. This isn't to say that they're hard though; they're crisp, more than anything, like a fortune cookie, but flat and a little thicker. They're not too heavy on the chocolate chips either. I never expected to enjoy eating a cookie that was so flat, crisp, and un-chocolatey, but in all honesty these light, buttery cookies are about as good as Mrs. Fields, just at the opposite end of the spectrum. However, they're much cheaper, and as the name states, they come in packs of three. If you look at it that way, Linden's provides more cookie for less money. So which is my favorite so far? Hard to say. I'd call it an even tie.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Cookie Quest
Hello. This is a blog about cookies. I have always loved cookies since I was little, and now that I am 22 I have had quite a bit of experience baking them as well.
Now, if you ask most people their favorite cookie, the answer is usually the same: chocolate chip. There is really nothing like a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. Hot, chewy, buttery, the smell of melted chocolate filling the room ... there is really no way to beat it. Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate cookie.
Most people know the story behind them. It is printed on every bag of Toll House chocolate chips. For those who don't though, here it is:
Toll House cookies got their name from a lovely old toll house located between Boston and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Built in 1709, the house had long been a haven for weary travelers in search of food, drink, and a change of horses.
The historic old house was purchased by Kenneth and Ruth Wakefield in 1930 and turned into the now famous Toll House Inn. In keeping with tradition, Mrs. Wakefield baked for her guests, perfecting and improving upon many old recipes. Soon, her tasty desserts attracted people from all over New England. One day, while stirring together a batch of Butter Drop Do cookies, a favorite Colonial recipe, Mrs. Wakefield cut a bar of Nestlé Semi-Sweet chocolate into bits and added them to her cookie dough, expecting them to melt. Instead, the chocolate held its shape, softening to a creamy texture. This delicious discovery was dubbed the Toll House cookie, which became a widespread favorite. With Mrs. Wakefield's permission, Nestlé began putting the recipe on the wrapper of their Semi-Sweet chocolate bars.
As the popularity of the Toll House cookie continued to grow, Nestlé began to produce a special, scored chocolate bar that could be divided into sections. Later, they began offering tiny pieces of chocolate in convenient packages- the birth of the "Semi-Sweet Morsel" or chocolate chip.
So, in the tradition of Ruth Wakefield, I too have been perfecting and improving old recipes. It has taken me years to perfect it, but I believe I have developed the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Here it is:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups (one 12 oz package) Baker's® brand chocolate chunks
1.Preheat oven to 375° degrees.
2.Melt butter. Combine with salt and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Stir in white and brown sugar until evenly melted. Beat in eggs.
3.Sift in baking soda and flour, stirring until dough is evenly mixed.
4.Fold in chocolate chunks and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
5.Bake in preheated oven for 14 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Notes: Clean pan in cold water between batches. A hot pan will cause the cookies to spread thin and burn around the edges. Do not substitute margarine for butter. Cookies made with margarine will have a dense, crumbly texture instead of a soft, chewy one. As with any recipe which calls for vanilla extract, do not substitute with imitation vanilla extract. Aside from providing inferior flavor, imitation extract is not as strong and requires different measurements.
One other major thing to remember is that the quality of the ingredients you use is vastly more important than any recipe. It is the difference between cookies which are good and cookies which are memorable. With regard to the vanilla extract, this is most important. Even more than the chocolate chips, the quality and amount of the vanilla in your cookie dough will make the most noticeable difference. As a general rule, more is better. That's why I've tripled the amount that Ms. Wakefield used in her original recipe. Again, never go for the imitation stuff, a.k.a. “vanillin.” Just don't.
Don't be fooled though, either. Many "real" vanilla extracts contain artificial colors and even corn syrup. (Yuck!) In truth, the FDA regulates vanilla extract by bean weight and not bean quality, you never know what you might be getting with manufactured products. Really, the only sure way to know what you are getting is to make your extract. This ensures that you get the highest possible quality product made from the absolute best vanilla beans. It is also much cheaper than buying a lot of high quality extract. You can find instructions on how to do it here.
A final word on vanilla: the best vanilla I have ever had is single country vanilla made from a uniform crop of beans, not a blend thrown together by a multinational corporation where ever they could get the beans cheapest. Buy single country beans when you can. I have had excellent results with the Indonesian beans availible from a company called "Frontier."
With this method, you will be able to bake a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies from scratch that will put all the old ladies in your neighborhood to shame. However, the fact is that sometimes you want a chocolate chip cookie and you just can't devote two hours to getting one; sometimes you just have to have one right away. The question is, are any of the store bought worth it? Certainly they can't measure up to the real, home-made ones, but how good are they, really?
To answer this question, I decided to put the store bought ones to the test. I'll be posting the results here with each new cookie I try.
Now, if you ask most people their favorite cookie, the answer is usually the same: chocolate chip. There is really nothing like a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. Hot, chewy, buttery, the smell of melted chocolate filling the room ... there is really no way to beat it. Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate cookie.
Most people know the story behind them. It is printed on every bag of Toll House chocolate chips. For those who don't though, here it is:
Toll House cookies got their name from a lovely old toll house located between Boston and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Built in 1709, the house had long been a haven for weary travelers in search of food, drink, and a change of horses.
The historic old house was purchased by Kenneth and Ruth Wakefield in 1930 and turned into the now famous Toll House Inn. In keeping with tradition, Mrs. Wakefield baked for her guests, perfecting and improving upon many old recipes. Soon, her tasty desserts attracted people from all over New England. One day, while stirring together a batch of Butter Drop Do cookies, a favorite Colonial recipe, Mrs. Wakefield cut a bar of Nestlé Semi-Sweet chocolate into bits and added them to her cookie dough, expecting them to melt. Instead, the chocolate held its shape, softening to a creamy texture. This delicious discovery was dubbed the Toll House cookie, which became a widespread favorite. With Mrs. Wakefield's permission, Nestlé began putting the recipe on the wrapper of their Semi-Sweet chocolate bars.
As the popularity of the Toll House cookie continued to grow, Nestlé began to produce a special, scored chocolate bar that could be divided into sections. Later, they began offering tiny pieces of chocolate in convenient packages- the birth of the "Semi-Sweet Morsel" or chocolate chip.
So, in the tradition of Ruth Wakefield, I too have been perfecting and improving old recipes. It has taken me years to perfect it, but I believe I have developed the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Here it is:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups (one 12 oz package) Baker's® brand chocolate chunks
1.Preheat oven to 375° degrees.
2.Melt butter. Combine with salt and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Stir in white and brown sugar until evenly melted. Beat in eggs.
3.Sift in baking soda and flour, stirring until dough is evenly mixed.
4.Fold in chocolate chunks and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
5.Bake in preheated oven for 14 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Notes: Clean pan in cold water between batches. A hot pan will cause the cookies to spread thin and burn around the edges. Do not substitute margarine for butter. Cookies made with margarine will have a dense, crumbly texture instead of a soft, chewy one. As with any recipe which calls for vanilla extract, do not substitute with imitation vanilla extract. Aside from providing inferior flavor, imitation extract is not as strong and requires different measurements.
One other major thing to remember is that the quality of the ingredients you use is vastly more important than any recipe. It is the difference between cookies which are good and cookies which are memorable. With regard to the vanilla extract, this is most important. Even more than the chocolate chips, the quality and amount of the vanilla in your cookie dough will make the most noticeable difference. As a general rule, more is better. That's why I've tripled the amount that Ms. Wakefield used in her original recipe. Again, never go for the imitation stuff, a.k.a. “vanillin.” Just don't.
Don't be fooled though, either. Many "real" vanilla extracts contain artificial colors and even corn syrup. (Yuck!) In truth, the FDA regulates vanilla extract by bean weight and not bean quality, you never know what you might be getting with manufactured products. Really, the only sure way to know what you are getting is to make your extract. This ensures that you get the highest possible quality product made from the absolute best vanilla beans. It is also much cheaper than buying a lot of high quality extract. You can find instructions on how to do it here.
A final word on vanilla: the best vanilla I have ever had is single country vanilla made from a uniform crop of beans, not a blend thrown together by a multinational corporation where ever they could get the beans cheapest. Buy single country beans when you can. I have had excellent results with the Indonesian beans availible from a company called "Frontier."
With this method, you will be able to bake a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies from scratch that will put all the old ladies in your neighborhood to shame. However, the fact is that sometimes you want a chocolate chip cookie and you just can't devote two hours to getting one; sometimes you just have to have one right away. The question is, are any of the store bought worth it? Certainly they can't measure up to the real, home-made ones, but how good are they, really?
To answer this question, I decided to put the store bought ones to the test. I'll be posting the results here with each new cookie I try.
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