But I don't really know what about. If I had a house, I would probably write about how kick-awesome we are for growing a garden and hosting a Halloween party in our 3200 sq ft home. If we had kids, I would write about how messy they are and how one of them said an inappropriate thing today and I was roaring with laughter. If I had an awesome wardrobe, I would probably be a fashion blogger and post for you all my creative outfits with articles from Anthro, JCrew and rock Steve Madden heeled boots. If I lived somewhere that had seasons, I would probably post about apple picking on Friday and the pumpkin patch we went to on Saturday. And if you give a mouse a cookie, don't, give it to me instead. Because I could use some cookies on this bleak overcast Monday.
...My cookies never turn out. The plain chocolate chip kind. I've tried Martha Stewart and Betty Crocker, the fundamental source for cookie baking but none worked. I've researched blog after blog, yet none of them seem to rise. Weird. I keep telling myself that it must be the oven, but the oven cooks everything else just fine but rejects my cookies. Then I think that maybe it has something to do with living 2 miles from the beach and the moisture in the air is affecting my mix?? I'd like my husband to think of his wife as anything BUT a failed baker. So to make up for it I keep buying Nestle's pre-made cookies. What a kick in the ego-pants. I guess I'm done writing now.
I have an idea. Take some of my cookie dough and one of my cookie sheets. Bake some of it on your sheets, some on mine. Then we'll know if it's the baking sheets or the oven. Then we will write a science fair project about it.
ReplyDeleteYou're so funny. I liked this post.
so 36 hours may seem like a long wait for chocolate chip cookies...but this may be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever :) http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/07/bold-statement.html
ReplyDeleteMy cookies NEVER turn out either!! I always just use the excuse that we didn't really grow up making regular cookies, we had big cookies instead so I don't really know how to make regular cookies. But I totally agree- the fact that I can't even make cookies is a total shot to the self esteem.
ReplyDeleteWe love this recipe. It's yumful
ReplyDelete* 1 cup butter (I prefer butter for all baking), softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.
oh, and when you're mixing, make sure to scrape the bowl to incorporate all the sugar into the rest of the ingredients. Also, baking is more of a science than other cooking. There is room for playing around as long as the original "formula" is intact. If you want to have a peanut butter taste, take some butter out and add pb. If you add too much sugar your recipe will be completely wrong. Too much flour you'll end up with rocks. To be consistent in baking recipes the best way to measure is by weight rather than volume.
ReplyDeleteFat will make your cookies spread. If you don't measure the butter right and add too much, your cookies will not raise.
Moisture will help your cookies rise. The recipe I posted has you dissolve the baking soda in water. The water adds just that much more moisture to the recipe, and helps distribute the soda throughout the dough. Brilliant, easy and it works. If all else fails; we'll bake together next time I'm in town.
ps. I hate walnuts, so I omit those. But Grandpa would love a good chocolate chip cookie with walnuts if you happen to have success with a batch. :)
America's Test Kitchen chocolate chip cookies - browned butter. Need I say more? mmmm, I love browned butter.
ReplyDelete