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Butter Me Up & Then Some....

By "Daisy Duke"

Growing up my Mom made the best chocolate chip cookies ever. No matter where we lived and what school I went to, Mama Duke's cookies reigned supreme. They were the perfect amount of chewy and tasteful and my friend's mom's would ask for the secret recipe. Mama Duke would always tell them "It is on the back of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag." And then they would make them and sure enough, it was never to the same result. Turned out Mama Duke forgot to tell them about the "changes" that seem minor but really aren't. Before we get there though we should mention a few other things:

Chocolate chip cookies are like mattresses: everyone has a different preference. Some like thick and chewy, some like crispy and flat. To add nuts or not to add nuts? Milk chocolate or semi-sweet? These are answers you have to come up with for yourself, but in the meantime, it is important to note the following:

Sugar affects chewiness of a cookie. Rather, sugar moisture. White sugar v. Brown sugar is going to change the chewiness of a cookie- white sugar will make them more granular and crispy, brown sugar is going to add chewiness.

Temperature of ingredients will affect how much they "spread" out. I like to use cold eggs to keep a firmer dough to keep the cookies a little thicker. If you like a thinner cookie, use room temp eggs and drop the cookies onto a hot cookie sheet.

Your cookie pan will affect the crispiness as well. They will cook faster on a darker pan, so if you like a chewier cookie, don't use a dark coated cookie sheet. A greased baking sheet will also allow more "spread" to a cookie so those of you who like them crispy should grease the pan before.

And now onto my three tricks:

Flour: Depending on the temperature and humidity outside and in your house, as well as other awesome factors I can't begin to explain like sea level and if the President drank his prune juice on that particular day, the flour you need in your recipe will vary, almost every single time you make it. My Mom and I call this the "touch" test. Flour is the last ingredient you add in before the chocolate & nuts, so you begin by adding it in 1/2 a cup at a time. Add 1/2 a cup and mix. Add 1/2 a cup and mix. After each 1/2 cup is mixed in completely, observe & touch the dough. If the dough is dripping off the mixer and sticks to your fingers, you don't have enough. Too much flour and the dough will stick together in one big glob and will stick to the mixer that way- and it won't adhere to your finger, instead you will leave an indent in the dough. The perfect amount of flour is when the mixture is still sticky- you touch it and the dough "draws towards you" and it sticks to your finger a little but at the same time, isn't coating your finger. If you lift up the mixer out of the dough, some of the dough will stick to the mixer but it won't drip or run off. This is the texture you want in your dough.

Butter or No Butter: Ok here is my guilty secret. I don't use butter. If you like a crispy, flat cookie, by all means, use butter. But I like a fluffy cookie, with chewiness and some density to it. And so I use....butter flavored Crisco. I know, twice in two days I've discussed this slightly ooky weird butter substitute. It is a lot like Velveeta: It is embarrassing to buy, you don't want to admit you ever cook with it but you have one or two signature recipes that need the chemical concoction found in the item. I typically hide the butter flavored Crisco at the bottom of my cart, under the broccoli and far away from the European cheeses I adore. It is like a red headed stepchild that Crisco. But, if you prefer a chewy cookie it is necessary. I promise. Use the same amount that is called for butter, but instead use Crisco. You will never be the same.

Out-of-the-Oven Technique: Like many things, a cookie that comes out of the oven and stays on the hot pan will continue to cook. I take my cookies out as they begin to turn golden brown and not a minute later or else I think they lose some of the chewiness. And then here is the trick: as soon as remotely possible, I take them off the pan with a spatula and place them upside down on clean kitchen towels. This allows them to cool quickly so they retain that chewy, almost gooey (but not quite) texture. If you cool them face up, they will continue to cook because they will cool more slowly, which results in a dryer cookie. I'm sure all you physics majors will agree with me on this one.

And finally, don't put your cookies into a cookie jar or Tupperware until they are truly fully cooled- give them an hour or so so they don't get any condensation in their storage container.

And finally, yes, I use the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse bag. I like to use a nicer/smoother brand of chocolate chips though (Ghirardelli being my favorite) and I'm a semi-sweet, no-nuts kind of gal. But no matter what you choose to put in them, I promise these tips will give you the cookies you most adore.

(And? The Friends episode where Monica seeks to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever and Phoebe tries to help her and it turns out it is all just the recipe on the back of the Nestle bag? My favorite. Episode. Ever.)

Full post as published by Legally Blonde Ambition on June 05, 2008 (boomark / email).