Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a confession to make.

I'm not a big fan of chocolate chip cookies.  Actually, chocolate in general.  Most of the time, it's too sweet and I can only handle so much sweet at a time.  Ideally I like my sweet to be balanced with something else, which may be why I like Reese's Pieces so much.  Or I'm just weird.

I do love baking any kind of cookie out there though, and I do have a go-to chocolate chip recipe - Martha Stewart's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from her Cookie book.  A deliciously simple recipe that stayed soft and perfect for days after.  I didn't think any recipe could top that one.

Well America's Test Kitchen just had to go and up the ante, didn't they.  Last season they featured an improved chocolate chip cookie recipe that took the flavor up a notch from their previous cookie recipe - browned butter.

Browned butter cookies, cooling on a rack.

Browning butter infuses more flavor into the cookie, giving it a nutty, almost toffee like flavor.  Mmm flavor.  But the first time I browned the butter, I kept it on the stove too long, trying to get the butter as deep brown as possible, and I burned the butter.  Woe is me.  The second time around, I was extremely vigilant about the browning, and took it off the stove earlier.  Also, please use a 10 inch skillet.  I couldn't find a 10 inch skillet (or I was too lazy to clean one) in my stainless steel pan collection, so I used an 8 inch skillet.  It took longer to brown the butter.

You must use a stainless steel or other light colored pan to brown the butter.  Nonstick pans tend to be dark, so you won't see the butter browning, but you definitely will smell it... when it's burned.

Also, do NOT skip the rest/whisk part of the recipe!  It really thickens up the butter/sugar/egg mixture, and it is so unique compared to any other cookie recipe I've ever baked.

Gorgeous cookies.

The verdict?  Mr. Unoriginal Chef liked the different taste, but he couldn't give me an answer as to which one was better.  My testers at work couldn't give me a definitive answer other than "OMNOMNOM COOKIE." I liked the flavor, liked how the cookie remained soft the next day, and liked that I worked with melted butter instead of creaming butter (one less appliance to clean!)  It's really a toss up between which recipe I would use as my go-to recipe, but this one is definitely a contender.

Find out for yourself.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from America's Test Kitchen, Season 10.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (10 ounces in a 12 ounce bag, roughly)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted. (optional) 

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Make sure the rack is in the middle.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2.  Whisk together baking soda and flour, set aside.

3.  Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes.  Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 1 to 3 minutes.  It will burn VERY quickly, so watch closely!

4.  Remove skillet from heat and transfer butter to a heatproof bowl.  (My Pyrex bowl worked fine.)  Stir the remaining four tablespoons of butter into the hot butter and stir until melted.

5.  Add brown and granulated sugar, salt and vanilla to the butter.  (I highly advise measuring out the sugar before hand if possible.)  Whisk until fully incorporated.

6.  Add egg and egg yolk to the mixture.  Whisk mixture until smooth and no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds.  Let the mixture stand for three minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds.  Repeat the stand and whisk procedure twice.  The mixture will be thick, smooth, and shiny.

7.  Add the flour to the mixture and stir to combine, about one minute.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using and stir to incorporate and make sure there are no flour pockets (check the bottom!)

8.  ATK recommends making 3 tablespoon sized cookies, or use a #24 cookie scoop.  I used a tablespoon to scoop and formed it with my fingers.

9.  Bake cookies one tray at a time for 9-10 minutes (smaller cookies) or 10 to 14 minutes (larger cookies.)  Halfway through, rotate the cookie sheet.  Cookies are done when they are golden brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft.

10.  Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.  (I had to do this, I needed the baking sheet to make another batch!)

Cookies cooling on the sheet... reflecting on their existence in another pot.

ATK's recipe says to cool completely before serving, but I love warm, out of the oven cookies.  I may have yoinked a cookie off this sheet after it cooled to the touch.

Almond Cookies

Ahhh almond cookies.  My memories of almond cookies come from a pink box from the Golden Phoenix Bakery (I think that's what they're called... don't quote me.  It's a pink box!) that were always such a delicious, crumbly treat. 

A food blog I follow daily is Food Gal by Carolyn Jung, who used to be the Food Writer at the SJ Mercury News.  She posted a recipe the other day for New Years - a roasted chicken with soy and whiskey.  I usually do not cook with alcohol, but as I salivated over her roast chicken picture, I noticed a link to almond cookie recipes.

AWESOME!

I had a New Year's event coming up with a group I joined at work and we were to bring desserts.  Awesomer!  I could bring these cookies!

When I first glanced at the recipe, I was terrified of the word "shortening."  I hated the idea of having to buy another type of "fat" to make a batch of cookies.  Unlike beautiful butter, I can't use it in other recipes easily, or spread it on toast in a pinch.  However, after reading the results of the two types of cookies, I went with the shortening recipe since it achieved the type of cookie I wanted - fluffy.

Ok fine, not fluffy.  I'm not a perfect baker.

The cookies didn't zoom me back to my childhood - no crazy preservatives - but the taste was consistent with a great crumble.  There's something about almond extract that has that lingering aftertaste... but everyone at the event LOVED the cookies, so I think they may make a return appearance in the future.

I was initally concerned that this recipe didn't contain salt, but it wasn't needed.  The almond extract seriously takes care of everything.

Almond Cookies from Food Gal, from Blonder and Low's "Every Grain of Rice"

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening (or lard) (ew)  You can purchase shortening in packs of three sticks, which is definitely preferable if you don't use shortening often.  You can use the other sticks in pie dough ... or to make these cookies again.
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (it's VERY strong!)
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 36 blanched almonds

Directions:

1.  Blanch your almonds!  Unless you purchase blanched almonds, almonds come with their skin still on (which is probably where most of the fiber of the almond comes from.)  I use Blue Diamond all natural almonds, as nothing is added to them - preferable for baking.  To blanch, boil water in a pot.  When the water comes to a boil, throw the almonds in and let it boil for 1 minute, and no more than 1 minute, 30 seconds.  (Anything longer than this, and the almond starts to cook.)  Remove from the heat and drain.  Rinse with cold water immediately! 

The almond should look shriveled.  You can easily peel the skin away, or pinch in one corner and the almond will pop right out, although it's very likely the almond will pop out across your kitchen, under your fridge.  Not like I have any experience...

Blot dry with paper towels once you remove the skin, and allow to rest on the paper towels.

2.  Preheat your oven to 375.

3.  In your mixer, cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy.  The nice thing about shortening is you don't have to bring it to room temperature, so you can start working with it right away.

4.  Add the egg, minus one tablespoon.  You will use this egg later as an egg wash on the cookies.

5.  Add the vanilla and almond extracts.  Mix until well combined.

6.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Add to the creamed mixture in no more than three additions and stir until just mixed together.  The dough will seem crumbly but when you squeeze it together, it holds up.

7.  Form 32-36 one inch diameter balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment.  Press one blanched almond into the middle of the ball, and brush with the reserved egg. 

Awaiting a trip to the oven...

8.  Bake 12-15 minutes (I did it for 13 minutes.)  I always let my cookies cool on the sheet first and then I remove it to a rack after five minutes to cool.

My cookie still wound up flat - I have no idea why - but they were still delicious beyond belief.  And gobbled up quickly.

Banana Nut Muffins

Last week I bought four of the biggest bananas known to mankind.  Mr. Unoriginal Chef didn't want to eat them, so they rapidly decayed to my favorite stage - baking ready.

Before I begin, here are two quick banana tips:
1.  If your banana isn't overripe, you can speed up the ripening process by putting the banana in the oven while it pre-heats.  The skin will turn completely black.  Cool, and then mash.
2.  If your banana is ripe but you aren't ready to bake, you can freeze the banana whole, and just defrost when you are ready to bake.

I've made banana bread many times, so this time I decided to go for banana nut muffins.  After a quick consultation with the mighty recipe oracle (aka Google) I found Tyler Florence's banana nut muffins recipe.  Being highly rated, I had a feeling it would come out well.

Gather your ingredients!

(not pictured - eggs)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 overripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

You will also need three mixing bowls and at least two muffin tins (six muffins per tin)

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 and line your muffin pans or lightly grease with butter.

2.  Melt the butter in the microwave - in a microwave safe bowl, cut the butter into thin slices and microwave for 1 minute at power level 50.  If it hasn't completely melted, microwave for another 20-30 seconds at power level 50 until is melted.  Set aside to cool.

3.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

4.  In a small bowl, mash two of the bananas with a fork, leaving some texture (meaning don't turn it into baby food mush.)

5.  With a mixer with the whisk attachment or a strong arm and whisk, combine the remaining two bananas and sugar for at least 3 minutes.  It will get runny, don't worry!

6.  Add butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Beat well.

7.  Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Stir until barely combined.

8.  Fold in the nuts and mashed bananas with a spatula.

9.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, about halfway filled in each cup.  Tap the tins against the counter to get out the air bubbles.

10.  Bake 18-20 minutes or when a toothpick is inserted, it comes out clean.  I also rotated the muffin tins halfway through the baking process.

11.  Allow to cool in the tins on a rack for 5 minutes, and then on a tray completely.

Helloooo gorgeous!

No, really, hubba hubba.

They tasted delicious when warm - they're not overly sweet, and the second addition of not completely mashed bananas help to keep them moist.

Extremely simple, quick, and great - an excellent recipe to use when you have rapidly ripening bananas or need to bring something to a breakfast meeting.