Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Wifey Wednesday

Every wife needs to have the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe up her sleeve - especially now that it's December 1: Baking Season has begun.




















 I'll let you in on my little secret. It's been in the works for years, and is really the single recipe that made me fall in love with baking (and subsequently cooking). Starting back in high school, I got the itch to bake and a certain group of boys (future Hubby, cough, cough) made frequent trips to my parents home to see if by chance a fresh batch had been baked.

Many nights we I spent baking.... and we would eat... and eat... and eat the dough before the cookies were baked, and then eat the next batch before I could even get them onto plates. I would guess that if you went to high school with me, or knew me at that time, you have tasted this recipe first-hand. For the rest of you, I'll do my best to distribute the goods around, but in the meantime, you can try your hand at these: 

Hallie's Homemade Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar (pack super tight and measure a heaping amount)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (heaping)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (another heaping amount here)
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I think too many makes the cookies hard to eat) 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) into a large bowl
In a separate bowl, add granulated sugar and brown sugar
Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl
Whisk egg with hand-mixer or stand-mixer
Combine egg with  sugar mixture
Add melted butter and vanilla to sugar/egg mixture and combine thoroughly (I recommend a stand-mixer, but can be done by hand if very thorough)
Once smooth and mousse-like, add this mixture to the large bowl with the flour mixture
Combine thoroughly, careful to mix in all flour
Add chocolate chips and distribute evenly
Cover the dough bowl tightly with saran wrap and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (can be overnight, too)
Once chilled, scoop into spoon-sized balls and place on Silpat on baking sheet (I can fit 16 cookies on a sheet) **It should be noted that a Silpat mat is one of the best baking investments you can make. It ensures an even, clean bake and allows you to get really soft edges and lovely texture, even on the bottom of your treats
Bake for 8 minutes, and rotate the tray 180 degrees at 4 minutes (to ensure even baking)
Remove cookies from oven promptly at first sign of cookedness (8 minutes... I guarantee you will not think they are done)
Let cookies cook ON baking sheet for another 10-15 minutes ** this is crucial out-of-oven bake time
Gently transfer cookies to cool china plate
Serve and enjoy!




























































Sending your cookies to-go?

I've developed a trusty packing method that will ensure they arrive intact and just as good as can be. First gather your supplies: a sturdy paper plate, aluminum foil, and wax paper.

Line your plate with foil and secure around the edges. Place one layer of cookies, flat and not overlapping, and then cover with a sized piece of wax paper. Repeat with another layer of cookies covered with wax paper. This can be repeated to make 3 layers with about 6 cookies per layer.





















On the top layer, place wax paper and then a final foil covering, secured around the edges.





















See, even the HBS kids like getting treats at school!

9 comments:

  1. Yum these look great, I have never heard of a Silpat ... I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Definitely- my Dad is a great baker and he got me hooked on Silpat mats years ago- now I won't bake without one! We got ours at Williams-Sonoma and I think Sur la Table sells too. Good luck!

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  3. oh don't get me started on Williams-Sonoma ... I could spend hours in there. I'm just in awe of all their gadgets, esp. everything they have out now for stocking stuffers. Spent some time in one on Black Friday and discovered their 4 in 1 Avocado Tool. I wantttt!!

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  4. Hallie! Your post came at the perfect time, because I have been needing a go-to choc. chip cookie recipe. So I tried them today...and they are flatter than pancakes!! They taste great, but I can barely peel them off the cookie sheet! I know you are a fabulous baker, and the recipe is wonderful, I'm sure. So I know it must have been something I did--do you have any idea what would cause that?
    The only things I can think of:
    1. I didn't have a silpat so I just used a cookie sheet.
    2. I almost forgot the vanilla (I couldn't see where you added it?), so I remembered at the very end right as I was about to chill the dough. Would that have affected things?
    3. I didn't perfectly shape them into balls like your picture shows?
    4. I sifted after I measured. Should I have measured after I sifted?

    Sorry for all the details! I am just so bummed that I continually FAIL at choc chip cookies!

    Love all your fun recipes!

    love,
    Erin Hicks

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  5. Oh no! Well, I've found that my cookies have a much fuller shape when I let the dough fully chill in the fridge before baking. Also, by packing the dough into a dense ball, it helps ensure no air pockets are inside that might flatten out the cookies during baking. And good catch on the vanilla! So sorry, that should be added with the brown sugar/butter mixture, so I updated the directions accordingly. Though, I've added it last-minute as well with no repercussions.

    I hope that helps! When will baby girl Hicks be here?!

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  6. Thanks Hallie! I'll have to try them again. :)

    And hopefully, baby girl will be here any day. Due date is Saturday, 12/4, but if she wants to come today or tomorrow that would be more than fine by me!

    If you guys come back to HPPC over xmas, let me know! I'd love to give you a hug!

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  7. Hey -- just discovered your blog...love! Thanks for the recipe -- we made the cookies last night (well, truth be told, I convinced my husband, who is a much better cook and baker than I, to make them! ;) and they are wonderful!

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  8. yum. i love that you have these paired with ice cream. perfect choice! ;)

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  9. Thanks all for your comments! Hope you can take a break and ejnjoy some delicious cookies (and ice cream!) soon :)

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