I usually make white chocolate chip cookies for Em's birthday, but since it's the only time all year that I make them I'm always scrambling for a recipe. I think I've tried a different one every year, and they've all been good (when are cookies bad, really?) but I keep thinking I'll find the perfect recipe to stick with.
And then I realized I already had the perfect recipe - the famous NYT chocolate chip cookie recipe, but with white chocolate subbed in for semi-sweet. They were so good that I couldn't stop eating them, and I'm not really a white chocolate person. This year I used the mini white chocolate chips from Whole Foods because they were decent quality and readily available, but next year I might try getting a high quality white chocolate bar and then breaking it into chunks. Hopefully I remember that a year from now.
I have to say that the last few times I've made this recipe I've made the cookies a more realistic size so that people are less intimidated by them. The original recipe calls for using a huge scoop of the dough for each cookie and you get massive, bakery sized cookies (a #12 scoop works well). Perfect for a special treat, but a little much for putting out in the break room. This time I went big and of course, they are so much better this way. The texture is just perfect, soft in the middle and crisp at the edges. So I'm back with my old debate - make enormous cookies and hope people will just split them if they want less cookie? Make normal sized cookies and accept the not-quite-as-perfect texture?
I have that same debate all the time! I argue with my mom sometimes re: cookie size. She usually makes them half the recommended size because then she has mass quantities! But I say that you have to do the specified amount (for the most part) because then you get the right texture. This doesn't matter for all cookies, though, but for the ones where it does, the texture takes it to another level.
ReplyDeleteI do like to make smaller cookies sometimes. It seems to me that it's human nature (or just my own nature) to eat more than one cookie if they are smaller. So even if I make them smaller, I have to make a bigger batch to account for the second helpings. If the cookie is huge, maybe people will be less likely to eat more than one? But then you never want to show up to a party with one cookie per person. You need extras! But bigger cookies = bigger batch.
Sooo, to summarize: the debate continues.
The fact there is a routine Cookie Size Debate in your head, and that you listed out the pros and cons, along with the fact that you try new recipes every year in hopes you will find The One, makes me love you so hard. We are sisters from different misters.
ReplyDeleteWe really liked this recipe, http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/04/salted-chocolate-chunk-cookies/, and I like white chocolate in cookies, so I'll try that too.
ReplyDeleteOh, nice! Thanks for that. And also, so weird that it didn't turn up when I was doing my search. Normally SK has pretty good google-ability.
DeleteYeah, I'm definitely going to make another batch soon. They turned out well for me at 6000ft and I have trouble with a lot of cookie/cake recipes that used to work perfect at sea level. There's a Milk Bar Life choc chip recipe with dry milk powder that I want to try as well.
DeleteI saw in one of your pictures that you were using the Kirkland choc chips for your oat choc chip cookies and meant to ask you if you prefer them to other brands
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I get them just because they're at Costco! I do like them and find them comparable to most other chocolate chips. I think they're a little more intense than the standard Tollhouse variety (can't remember what the chocolate content is, but they might be a little darker) and the quality is good. I'd highly recommend them, especially for value! Fair warning - I am so NOT a chocolate person. I only eat it if there's enough sugar surrounding it. But I think I'm accurate in saying these are pretty damn decent.
DeleteThank you, I'll give them a try. I really like guittard milk choc chips and like to mix them with bitter or semi sweet choc. I'm a chocolate person and eat some everyday. Guittard white choc chips are good too. I also like to buy ghiradelli 60% baking bars and chop them up for cookies
ReplyDeleteI have never been a great cookie baker but these turn out perfectly almost every time. My fella thinks they are the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I don't even use fancy chocolate and not always unsalted butter (gasp!) but they are still amazing. Can't recommend them enough! (They are also a big part of why I pulled the trigger on buying a stand mixer. I've never looked back!)
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