Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Classic Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies



I know, you've probably seen a zillion chocolate chip cookie posts on a zillion different food blogs, so why should you care? Well, maybe because I've tested a lot of them. Maybe because sometimes you want a moist and soft chocolate chip cookie and you end up with a hard crackling cookie and you just don't know where the recipe failed you! First, let me share a little secret. I have a newfound love for chocolate shards. I always used to use chocolate chips to make cookies until one day, I found myself out of them. I used a good quality chocolate bar instead, and coarsely chopped pieces of dark goodness that I then folded into my batter. I've been making cookies like this ever since. Sure it takes a couple extra minutes to chop the chocolate, but the end result is a cookie where some pieces are melted and gooey and others are just specks of dark chocolate seeping throughout the dough.

Now for a good, reliable recipe. This one really did the trick. It's a recipe from the Martha Stewart Cookie book and the batter is the best cookie batter I've had yet. It's fluffy, sweet, but not too sweet and absolutely delicious. Should I confess that a few of these cookies-to-be were eaten raw? The cookies were delicious - so good in fact that we had to give them away because the pile of them was mysteriously getting smaller during the course of the day.

Recipe (makes about 3 dozens)
2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of coarse salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups of bittersweet chocolate shards (about 12 ounces)

Preheat your oven to 350F. Whisk together the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugars. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy for 2-3 minutes. Reduce to low speed and add the salt, vanilla and eggs. Mix until just incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave a 2 inch space between each. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until the edges turn golden but the centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool on cooling racks. The cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 week.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, that's the secret! I always thought the confectioners had used two different types of chocolate chips to get that dual effect of gooey/crackly. Ah...

Olga said...

What a great photo! And I too prefer dark chocolate in my sweets.

Nurit "1 family. friendly. food." said...

What a gorgeous photo. Oh, how much I have wrestled with cookie photos (http://www.familyfriendlyfood.com/2008/11/cookie-2-ny-times-chocolate-chip.html ). I find it very challenging to get a good one.
I think I need to buy a new camera as well. May I ask which camera are you using?

Michelle said...

Oh YUM, YUM! I am a chocolate chip cookie fanatic so I will try this recipe!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Michelle, Mocha and Quincy

Y said...

I love that stack of cookies! One for every sip of milk.. :D

Chocolate Shavings said...

Nurit "1 family. friendly. food.": I found that stacking the cookies makes for an easier shot, especially if the cookies are pretty flat. And it helps to have something in the background to contrast with the cookies and make them pop. I use a Digital Canon Rebel to take all of my pictures, with a series of different lenses. Hope that helps!

Nurit "1 family. friendly. food." said...

Thanks for sharing your experience. yep, stacking sounds like something that would work. I've tried it only once before and completely forgot about it.

Maris said...

It sounds like it's definitely worth the little bit of extra work for an amazing, delicious and dark-chocolatey cookie!

Anonymous said...

I could never, ever get tired of seeing chocolate chip cookies!
You're photograph is just amazing! You're captured the comfort of milk and cookies in one amazing shot!

jesse said...

I don't think you can ever have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes... and I'm going to HAVE to try yours, they look so delicious! Happy Thanksgiving!

RecipeGirl said...

Hey, I'm always up for another chocolate chip cookie recipe. Though I've tried many, I still keep searching for the next best one!

raj said...

im excited about your chocolate shard idea! can't wait to try it out!

Unknown said...

CHe buoni!!!!
vale

raj said...

i just died and went to heaven.
ate the first cookie!
i suddenly had this craving and decided to bake at 1 a.m.
thank you thank you thank you!

Chocolate Shavings said...

raj: I'm glad you liked the cookies! They are hard to resist aern't they?

Anonymous said...

oh my. these look soooo good. I am going have to send the babies to bed early and indulge in the making and eating of these! GREAT site

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