Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently our newspaper had a feature on Christmas cookies from readers.  Like the blogging world's cookie swap, people submitted their favorite recipes to share with other cookie lovers.  This inspired me to start baking, but instead of branching out with new flavors, I turned to the reason that cookies were invented in the first place: chocolate chips. 

Now, I've enjoyed reading many accounts of quests for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe (for example, here and here.)  It's one of my duties in life to personally taste as many different chocolate chip cookies as possible, at whatever bakeries I happen to visit.  (Soon I will be reporting on what may be the ultimate bakery-made chocolate chip cookie experience, so stay tuned for that post.) 

Back to my kitchen.  So after reading about so many different kinds of cookies in the newspaper, I pulled out the flour, butter, eggs, and sugar to make some at home.  Even though I already have a favorite "chocolate chunk cookie" recipe from Barefoot Contessa Parties, and a favorite "chocolate chip bar" recipe from Chocolate on the Brain, I wanted to try yet another version, a local one, in fact, that I call "Hanna's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies."  What makes them famous?  Not one, but TWO bags of chocolate chips in a recipe that makes 3-4 dozen cookies.  It's like having a little bit of cookie with your chocolate chips.

In addition to trying Hanna's recipe, I also wanted to experiment with cookie sheets.  So I baked some on "Airbake" sheets with the air layer between the two sides of the sheet which is supposed to prevent burning.  Another round went on a regular metal cookie sheet with nothing between the dough and the sheet.  For a third version, I used a Silpat mat on the regular sheet.  Get ready for some serious cookie nerdiness...

The recipe is a winner, as I knew already from sampling many of these cookies baked by Hanna herself.  As for the cookie sheet experiment, it was a toss-up.

The regular metal sheets made the cookies spread less so they were a bit thicker and chewier, with or without the Silpat.  But on the first batch on the regular sheet, the cookies did turn a bit browner on the bottom than I would have liked.  The airbake ones were uniformly golden brown with no risk of burning.  They were a bit thinner, though, so the chocolate was less intense.  No matter which sheet is used, it can't be denied that these are some serious chocolate chip cookies. Thank you, Hanna, for sharing the recipe!

Hanna's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages (12 ounces each) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix thoroughly shortening, butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown.  Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.  Makes about 3-4 dozen cookies.

Comments

[Amy Deik]

I personally hate those air-bake sheets, I don't like the texture of cookie it produces. I like good ole-fashioned stainless steel sheets.
Another trick-of-the-trade I used to make as my standard choc chip cookie (modified TollHouse) is to replace 1/4 cup of flour with a package of instant vanilla pudding mix... makes for super moist cookies that stay bumpy--don't spread out in the pan (but seem to be best within the first day--don't hold well in my opinion)

[Paige]

Hi Amy, thanks for visiting! I'm glad to hear your opinion of the air-bake sheets since I'm still experimenting with those. I'll have to try your vanilla pudding method, and if it means eating all the cookies in one sitting, so be it!

[Amy Deik]

Have you tried Ina's peanut butter choc chunk cookies... they are Tim's (and Bob Deik's) favorites.