Tips For Entertaining From The Gourmet, The Baker and The Cocktail Shaker
Today's Tip is brought to you by Shelley...The Baker
Do your homemade chocolate chip cookies pass the “mmmm” test or do the kids eat them simply because they contain sugar and chocolate?
Ten cookie baking tips that will guarantee rave reviews from both kids and adults alike.
1. Butter. There is no substitute. I can’t pronounce half the ingredients on a tub of margarine and the outcome will pale in comparison to a cookie made with butter. Butter sticks are the easy way to ensure your measuring is accurate.
2. If it doesn’t say “pure vanilla extract” then it doesn’t get put in my recipe.
3. Replace your baking soda every four months. Write the date on the box so that you know when it’s past its prime. Baking soda has many household uses but not in a recipe after that point.
4. I like to mix up my recipe with different varieties of chocolate chips. Sometimes I use all milk chocolate, white chocolate, semi-sweet and sometimes a combination of what ever I have in the pantry. My favourite is ¾ milk chocolate chips and ¼ mini semi-sweet chips. Unless you bake a lot I don’t recommend you buy the bulk bags. Fresh is best.
5. Mix, mix, mix the wet batter (butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and eggs) before adding the dry ingredients.
6. A cookie sheet does not have any sides. You should have extra cookie sheets so that when one batch is in the oven you can start the next batch. Do not drop cookie dough onto a hot or warm cookie sheet or you will end up with a flat cookie.
7. Invest in a cookie dough spoon. It ensures that your cookies are the same size and they will be baked evenly. It also prevents the common comment “but he took the biggest one”.
8. Do not over bake. Your cookie needs to come out of the oven when the edges start to brown…..not the whole cookie. Every oven is different and depending on the pan you use will determine the results so don’t take your eyes off of them. If you do over bake a cookie it does make a nice crumble topping over ice cream.
9. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes—they will continue to bake during this time. Remove them to a wire rack until completely cooled.
10. Store in an air tight container. They will stay fresh for a week---but if you follow these tips you’ll be lucky if they last a day.
Original Toll House Cookies
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In small bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs.
Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 375 for approximately 8 minutes.
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