Sorry But I have to...Chocolate Chip Cookies (with a secret)

It seems you can't be a food writer/blogger without a solid chocolate chip cookie post.  All things aside, I will never be one to give into peer pressure but it just so happens that I love cookies and finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe one of the first goals I had when I began my culinary quest.

Now the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie will be different for everyone.  Some prefer crispy while others chewy, some prefer flat while others thick, and some prefer small cookies while others prefer large (if not HUGE).  So to begin I would like to explain to you exactly what my perfect chocolate chip cookie is because that is also exactly what this recipe will produce.

My perfect chocolate chip cookie is medium thick, chewy with a slight crumb (explained below), large, and it has an equal dough-to-chocolate ratio.  I am not one for overloaded chocolate chip cookies as I really love the taste of the cookie portion itself.  It is the delicate balance between the sweet vanilla-caramel flavor of the dough and the creamy smooth and rich chocolate that I find so appealing about these cookies.  If you're going to overload them with chocolate chips than just bake a chocolate cookie and be done with it I say!

So there you have it.  This is my cookie.  I do have to note however that in order to obtain the perfect texture of "chewy with a slight crumb" you must employ the use of a forbidden ingredient (or at least it is forbidden to some), and that is shortening (run for the hills!!!). 

A quick note:  I am not concerned with using shortening, or for that matter, any ingredient in my cooking (this goes for corn syrup as-well).  Sometimes these ingredients are essential to obtain the perfect textures and flavors I am looking for, and in these cases, I will use them.  I will do my best to avoid using these ingredients, but if necessary, they will be used (but I will be sure to note that the preface to the recipe).  "Everything in moderation" they always say.

Back to the recipe and the reason for the shortening.  The shortening is needed in the recipe because unlike butter, shortening melts at a much higher temperature and does not contain water. What this means is that the cookies will be thicker because they will have the chance to set before all of the fat melts and they will have a bit more of a crumb because there is more fat solids to get in between the flour grains which will prevent the development of gluten.  Lastly, the reduction of water helps to keep the cookie more uniform and dense because there is not as much water evaporating out of the cookie during cooking which often leads to cracking and an airy cookie.  That said, shortening tastes like...well nothing for the most part (but this does allow for the vanilla to shine) so we need to add butter to give us that rich flavor we all crave.  That and, as stated above, I do like a mostly chewy cookie, so the butter will help in that regard as-well.

The sugar in the recipe is an equal split between white and brown.  Brown provides the "chew" and a nice caramel background flavor from the molasses.  The white sugar mellows the brown just enough so that you can taste the vanilla in the dough and obviously doesn't contain molasses so it helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.  The rest of the ingredients are fairly common aside from just a little vinegar which is only there to brighten the flavors while not being detectable to the tounge as a component to the cookie.

There is a secret ingredient that I like to add.  Feel free to leave it out for the basic cookie but I do hope you try it out and see if it is to your liking.  It adds a little something that elevates these cookies above the normal chocolate chip cookie.  I'll let you look over the ingredients list and see if you can tell me what it is.

So, without further ado, my perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Note:  The recipe does call for the dough to rest for 24-hours in the fridge.  I do not believe, as most do, that this adds too much to the flavor of the cookie but it does allow the flour to absorb some of the fat/liquid and provides for an amazing texture once baked.

GWC Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup light brown sugar. packed
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar (white)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of malted milk powder
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.) In a large side bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and malt powder (if using).  Mix evenly and set aside.
2.) In your mixing bowl add the butter, shortening, and sugars and mix until smooth.
3.) Add the eggs to the fat and sugar and mix until evenly combined.
4.) Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix until evenly incorporated.
5.) Add in the flour mixture and beat until combined and no flour particles remain.  Then beat on high for 30 seconds more.
6.) Wrap dough in cling wrap (aka. saran wrap) and place in refrigerator for 24-36 hours.
7.) 15 minutes before you are ready to bake preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
8.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or better yet, a silpat baking sheet
9.) Scope 3 tablespoon to 1/4 cup sized balls onto the prepared baking sheet and place in oven to bake for 10-14 minutes depending on your preferred doneness.   Check every minute after the 10 minute mark if you decide to cook longer as they will go from perfect to overdone very quickly.
10.) Enjoy!

Final Note:  If you happen to try the recipe and treat yourself to these some of these bad boys please do let me know what you think. I always appreciate the comments!

To "Kill For" Blueberry Muffins. Watch Out.

I would first like to say that blueberries are not something that I crave, or for that matter, ever really think about eating as I only find them average in the taste department. That said, I am a big fan of muffins and it just so happens when you add blueberries to a muffin batter something happens that transforms a simple berry from being average, to something that is irresistible.

With all that said, I don't often find myself with a lot of blueberries lying around in the fridge, and this is because I don't purchase them often from the grocery store (perhaps for the reasons touched on above).  However, I did so happen to find myself with a stash of blueberries in the fridge this week and a craving for muffins (go figure).  As the two align in perfect harmony I decided to bake up a batch of my famous blueberry muffins.

Now, I am well aware that there is a particular blueberry muffin recipe circulating around the Internet that has been proclaimed to be "to die for" and you may be shocked to hear me say that these muffins "kill" those muffins without mercy. Really.  Better call the food police.

While the previously mentioned muffins are quite good in their own right, these muffins are in a league of there own.  I developed this recipe after reading and testing, and reading and testing, and reading and testing many a recipe. This recipe combines all the positives with none of the negatives from those past efforts.  They are more moist, more flavorful, and have more blueberries than any other.  They are just more in every way, or at least in every way that matters when it comes to food.

As I mentioned, the crumb for these muffins is very moist but that does not mean dense.  These muffins are actually quite light to the touch.  They are packed with blueberries and have a hint of lemon in the background which just gives them that pop they, like all berry muffins, in my opinion need.  To finish them off I like to top them with sparkling sugar.  This gives them a nice added crunch and sweetness without taking away the flavor from the berries or nature of the muffin itself, like a streusel often does (note: don't get me wrong, I do love streusel, but there is a time and a place for it).


Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cups + 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract/emulsion (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (all stems removed)

Directions:

1.) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin pan or line with 12 muffins cups.
2.) In a separate side bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.
3.)  In your mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Continue beating and slowly pour in the melted butter and mix until well combined.
4.) Add in extracts and mix until evenly combined.
5.) Add the flour, salt and baking soda mixture alternatively with the sour cream (or yogurt) and mix until just combined (a few dry specs of flour is ok).
6.)  With a spatula fold in blueberries.
7.) Pour batter into muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
8.) With five minutes left, sprinkle the sparkling sugar on the tops of the muffins and bake for another 5 minutes (so that means a 20 minute bake time in total).
9.)  Take out of oven and allow to cool in the muffin pan for five minutes.  Remove to a colling rack and allow to cool completely.
10.) Enjoy! (note: as with most baked goods, these are even better the next day)

A blog is a blog is a blog...or is it?

Hello to all of you that have kindly taken the time to stop by this blog's first entry and bare witness to its humble beginnings.  I will make you a promise, here and now, that like any fine wine, cheese, or baked good for that matter (except of course for warm from the oven chocolate chip cookies), that this blog will only get better with time.

I have always approached food and cooking with the belief that anything can be made in the home kitchen and can be made better than the store and/or restaurant version.  Understanding the process, ingredients, and the people who are eating the food are very important factors to consider and if you take your time and give yourself to a dish, the rewards will be endless.

From a young age I watched my father in the kitchen as he created meals that will forever warm my soul, and my stomach.  Anyone who knew my father knew of his joy for cooking and the skills that served as a foundation for many of his "famous" dishes.  He taught me everything I needed to know in order to make great food (except of course for Mac N' Cheese for which the nod goes to my Mom).  Most of all, he gave me the passion that I would now like to share with all of you.  It is these foundational skills and passion that I will continue to develop as I work to perfect all things culinary and create a world of taste unlike any other.  Will you come along for the ride?  I sure hope so.

Lastly, I will leave you with this last note to ponder until the next entry:  What if all the factories/restaurants closed tomorrow and you could no longer go out and easily get your favorite meal, dessert, snack, etc?  What would you do?  Where would you go?  Well I'm here to say that those three questions can soon be answered by saying "I would go to the Guy Who Cooks and learn to make it at home...only better".

Thank you,
GWC