Dumb questions about the basic ingredients for choc. chip cookies

[Anonymous]

I always use my Mrs Fields cookie recipe that I cut out of a Woman's World Mag years ago. Here it is:

Mrs. Fields' Blue-Ribbon Chocolate-Chip Cookies
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. butter at room temp.
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300F. Whisk flour with soda and salt, reserve. At medium speed beat sugars until combined. Add butter;beat until sandy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until just combined. Drop tablespoonfuls (I use an ice cream scoop) of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Baked 18-22 min until lightly browned. (I bake mine for 14 min. until the bottoms are just barely brown, because I like a soft cookie)

Here are tips that Mrs. Fields had in the same article:

Never melt your butter, especially in a microwave. It makes cookies that are flat and greasy. instead, butter should be room temperature, sliced into small pieces to make it easier to blend.

Use light-colored baking sheets. Dark sheets hold heat and cause cookies to become crispy.

Firm, non-sticky dough produces thicker and softer cookies. If your dough feels sticky after mixing, place it in the fridge for at least 10 - 15 minutes to firm.

[Anonymous]

I remember my early baking efforts (as does the fire department -- and I had the same problem.

I'm pretty sure it was about the baking soda -- either I put in too much, or I didn't put in any at all.

There used to be a great show on Food Network that talked about the science of baking -- what certain ingredients contribute to the final product and why you can't melt the butter, etc.

In the end, tho, PP is right. Any cookie is a good cookie in my book.

[Anonymous]

I like refrigerating my dough over night.

[Anonymous]

I use salted butter and always melt it in the microwave. We like cookies that are very soft and taste almost like cookie batter. Not traditional but everyone who eats them raves about them. Oh, and we also underbake a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've failed miserably at making CCs. I think it may be my ingredients.

So, when the recipe calls for butter - what type? Lucerne Sweet Cream, unsalted, Blue Bonnet, Emperial, vegetable oil-based?
And do I leave the butter on the counter to bring to room temperature? Or can I microwave it to get it soft?
And for salt - ionized or sea salt?
And for brown sugar - dark or light brown? Does it matter?
And for eggs - the super big jumbo ones or just regular size? And do I need to leave them on the counter for an hour to take the chill off?
And for mixing - I read in a previous thread that a hand mixer introduces air into the batter. Is that a good thing? Should I use that to mix the ingredients or just mix with spoon?

Sorry for asking such "duh" questions, but there seems to be so many variables and I keep getting flat CCs with no curb appeal and it's frustrating to waste so much time and ingredients.

Always use real butter. Anything else is just gross. Use the best quality that you can find, but make sure that it is unsalted. You want to be able to control the amount of salt.

Best if the butter is left on the counter, but you can microwave if necessary. To do so, you will need to use a low power setting and check frequently. If it melts, grab another stick and try again.

Recipes typically mean iodized salt. I use a coarse sea salt, and a bit more than is called for in the recipe, as it brings out the complexity of flavors better.

Do you like molassas? If so, use dark brown sugar. If not, use light brown. I like it some, but not an overwhelming amount, so I generally use light brown.

Large eggs will give you the best match, but you are okay no matter what. Best if they are room temperature, but if you didn't get a chance to leave them out, just use them cold. Unlike with the butter, cold will not kill the cookies.

I use my kitchenaid, but use whatever you want.

Despite all this, I agree with pp, don't worry too much - almost all cookies are good. One of my favorite childhood memories was of when my mother, who is a terrible cook in general, attempted to make chocolate chip cookies one night right after I went to bed. It is the only time in my entire life that I remember her baking. I have no idea what she did, but they ended up being just a thin crust completely stuck to the pan all the way across. She started scraping it off and finally she just got me out of bed (I must have been about 5) and we went at it together, scraping off each tiny bit and shoving the crumbs in our mouths. It took a while, but got it all off. It was excellent!

Loved that story, PP!! Thanks for sharing!!

[Anonymous]

I am a fluffy-cookie person, too, OP, and here's my secret: replace the baking soda with the same quantity of active dry yeast, and cut the salt in half, and in lieu of butter or margerine, use half unsalted butter and half shortening (butter has the better flavor, but shortening has a better melting point), and add about half a cup more flour.

As for mixing, I agree that the key is using a hand mixer to get the sugar/brown sugar/butter/crisco/vanilla mixture super fluffy, then add the rest of the ingredients while stirring the least amount possible.

[Anonymous]

For the people who use crisco instead of butter, aren't your cookies dry, doughy and fall apart?

My MIL only uses crisco for her cookies and that is how her cookies taste. They are thick and don't spread, but there is no crispy-chewy-gooey ness to the them at all.

She is the only one I know who uses crisco in cookies.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you have a food processor I have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes cookies with the best texture.
I posted it here:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/4010.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the people who use crisco instead of butter, aren't your cookies dry, doughy and fall apart?

My MIL only uses crisco for her cookies and that is how her cookies taste. They are thick and don't spread, but there is no crispy-chewy-gooey ness to the them at all.

She is the only one I know who uses crisco in cookies.

It sounds like your mom is either not creaming her sugars enough, or is baking them too long or too hot, or some combination thereof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the people who use crisco instead of butter, aren't your cookies dry, doughy and fall apart?

My MIL only uses crisco for her cookies and that is how her cookies taste. They are thick and don't spread, but there is no crispy-chewy-gooey ness to the them at all.

She is the only one I know who uses crisco in cookies.

It sounds like your mom is either not creaming her sugars enough, or is baking them too long or too hot, or some combination thereof.

I've used Crisco my whole life of CC baking and never had problems. I've had many people ask my secret and are shocked that I use Crisco.

OP - I hope all these posts haven't scared you away. The details of some are overwhelming for a beginning cookie maker!

[Anonymous]

We love cookies and we love baking and cooking in general. Once I found this recipe below we have never looked back. It is just a very simple but awesome recipe. My only advice is to not skip chilling the dough. We store them in dough balls in the freezer in a ziploc and bake when we have the urge.
http://debbiekoenig.com/2004/12/03/the-best-homemade-chocolate-chip-cookies-in-the-entire-world/

[Anonymous]

Baking should be done by weight and use a scale. You know x oz of flour.

[Anonymous]

Parchment paper is key

[Anonymous]

NP here. Anyone try various recipes (Toll House, Neiman Marcus, AllRecipes, etc.) and have a favorite?

[Anonymous]

No one has mentioned flour. Different brands of flour will change what kinds of cookies you produce, because flour differs in the amount of protein/glutein it contains. So try a different brand of flour. Also, my favorite recipe calls for 50% bread flour and 50% all purpose flour.