Cookie Monster Crack

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! It's finally that time of year! The holidays are here and I love it. I know its sad to think that I actually look for the holiday station on XM as soon as I jump in the car. From now until the first week after the new year my car will perpetually sound like a mall and I love it!!!

This past week we had a wonderful Pot Luck at at work and everyone brought in a something special. At the start of the event we had approximately 50 dishes to devour. It was insane and so much fun. I probably could have started at the front of the line with a spoon and worked my way to the end one bite at a time until full.

I'm sure all of you are either hosting or going to some one's house as a guest for the holidays so you'll need a few super star dishes up your sleeve. Well one mistake I tend to make is to make an overcomplicated dish. One lesson learned from many pot lucks is go simple and do it well, damn well.

One recipe everyone has to have is a classic Chocolate chip cookie recipe. Crisp or chewy you choose but its a classic and will remain a crowd please if done well. You can have plate of pate a choux and tiramisus but nothing hits a home run like a classic home baked chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is from the Toll House cookies that you'll find in all supermarkets its a classic recipe and one I'm not man enough to mess with.

Software:
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 Stick, 6 ounces) of unsalted butter
1 1/4 Cups (10 Ounces) llight brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 Cup (2 1/2 ounces) Light Corn Syrup
2 Teaspoons quality vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of table salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 Large egg
2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces) of unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Cup (4 Ounces) of toasted chopped nuts Optional
2 Cups (12 ounces) Semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking Spray

Hardware:
Mixing Bowls
Spatula
Scale
Hand mixer/Stand Mixer/Or whisks and Popeye's forearms
Silpat or parchment paper
Cookie sheet or jelly roll sheet pan
Cooling Rack

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F.

Cut up the butter into a bowl, along with the light brown sugar and corn syrup. Using your hand mixer or whatever mixing mechanism you choose whip them all up until they are fluffy and homogeneous. I prefer to weigh each ingrediant rather than measure to me it's easier and more accurrate. Especially in baking you really need to be spot on with your measurements it's a whole different world from savory cooking.

 

Next incorporate the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Then add your egg and mix.

Mix in your flour in thirds so you don't get flour flying everywhere like an I Love Lucy episode.

Now, by hand mix in the chocolate chips and nuts if you prefer.

Get out your baking sheet and line with parchment or a silpat and spray with a spray oil.

Using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon or a melon baller drop a dozen drop of cookie dough on your sheet spacing them out evenly approximately 2 inches apart. Keep in mind these cookies will spread a bit.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. You should take them out once the edges look like a golden brown. The center will likely look like a lighter brown and almost underdone but this when you should take them out. Rest for 5 minutes on your tray then gently use a spatula to transplant onto a cooling rack.

You can choose to eat them right away or pack to go but if you are taking them somewhere use a sugar moistener (Terra cotta piece saturated in water) in your container. Since they are Cheney you don't want them to lose their moisture content when transporting.

Now if you have cookie monsters at home like I do watch out because they will come out of now where to gobble up your treats as they cool. Happy Holidays Everyone!