I think that chocolate chip cookies are probably my favorite type of cookie. Not too complex, but very delicious. My dad is a chocolate chip cookie eating fiend. I usually stick to one recipe when I make them, but I've found a few other recipes that claim to be "the best". So, I decided to test them out and see which we think is the best. I have a group of friends over that will be my test tasters and we'll let you know everyone's favorite one. Enjoy the fun.
The cookies:
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. white sugar
2 (3.4oz) pkgs vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs, room temp.
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 c. add-ins (chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, candy bars, m&ms, nuts, etc) *I used semi sweet chocolate chips.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Stir together flour and baking soda, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter brown and white sugar.
4. Beat in pudding mix until well blended, then stir in eggs and vanilla.
5. When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture. Once all the flour is incorporated, add the mix-ins.
6. Drop in ball form onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden.
Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Ingredients
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened *I used salted
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips *I didn't have bittersweet, so I used semi-sweet.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.
4. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)
5. Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Makes approximately 3 dozen.
Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 oz. semi sweet dark chocolate, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mat and set aside. Place butter into small pot over medium heat. After butter has melted, start swirling pot gently until it starts to brown and become fragrant. Once the butter is a golden amber color, take off the heat and pour into the bowl of a mixer. Pour in sugar and brown sugar. Stir. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape sides and stir again. Pour in all dry ingredients and stir slowly. Scrape sides and mix again briefly. Stir in chocolate chunks and stir by hand. Scoop by the teaspoon into pans and bake 7-8 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. Serve.
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour *I used regular AP flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (I used kosher salt)
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt *Again used the kosher salt
Directions
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir all chocolate into dough using a wooden spoon. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. The original recipe recommends using 3 1/2 ounces of dough per cookie and baking six cookies per baking sheet, but I thought that made for an entirely too large cookie. So I dropped the dough by tablespoonfuls on to the prepared cookie sheet, then sprinkled lightly with sea salt and baked until golden brown, but still soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 3-4 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup malted milk powder
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a large bowl, beat the shortening, brown sugar, malted milk powder, chocolate syrup and vanilla for 2 minutes. Add egg.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chunks and chips.
- Shape into 2-in. balls; place 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. (I used parchment paper) Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.
Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Tollhouse Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions: PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.
THE FINAL RESULTS:
#1 was our winner at home. The pudding cookies seemed to be 3 out of the 6 taste testers favorites.
# 3 was in second place
#5 in third.
My dad loved the New York times cookies but his favorite were the Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk. I can't blame him there. They were very good. An 11 year old friend of the family tried the New York Times cookies and said they were salty and gross and politely asked not to finish his. :) I was not a big fan of the salt on top of the cookie either. I want my cookie to be sweet, not sweet & salty. The pudding cookies, brown butter cookies, and the tollhouse cookies stood up well in the days following the showdown. They remained soft and delicious. It was a fun time and we got a lot of people involved. Try your own showdown, whether it be with cookies, cakes, bars, or real food. ;)
