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How to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie

shelterrific.com — "Four years ago, we were excited to find a recipe with potential in the The New York Times; and after test runs at home, we agreed that it was “the one.” All the credit goes to Wendy Gaynor, who runs the beloved cookie shop Ruby et Violette at 457 West 50th Street in Manhattan." - long story short, I think they found the recipe for a perfect cookie

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  • Shorties, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I just made it, well the dough anyway, I have to leave it in the fridge till tomorrow. Once I was done though I split the dough down the middle then added red food coloring to one half and green to the other, that way I will have red and green cookies for Christmas.
    • beelz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+24*Wendy Gaynor’s ‘Perfect’ Chocolate Chunk Cookies

      8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
      1 cup packed dark brown sugar
      1/2 cup granulated sugar
      2 large eggs
      2 cups all-purpose flour
      1 teaspoon salt
      3/4 teaspoon baking soda
      1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
      4 cups semisweet chunks (preferably imported).

      1. Place the butter in a large bowl and cream at high speed until
      fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 4
      minutes, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, one
      at a time, until completely mixed.

      2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the
      butter mixture at low speed until just combined and add vanilla
      extract. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl down, until blended. Do
      not overmix.

      3. Add chocolate chunks and mix till thoroughly combined. Refrigerate
      batter until cold, preferably overnight.

      4. Preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees or a convection oven to
      300 degrees, and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop
      heaping spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets
      and bake, turning tray once, until golden brown around edges and soft
      (but not bubbly), about 9 minutes in a convection oven or 12 in a
      conventional one. Cool on a wire rack.

      Yield: 36 to 72 cookies, depending on size.
    • rhizome, on 10/12/2007, -16/+0I think Chip's Ahoy are the best, should I submit the story of my preference to digg? There is one mitigating factor, though: I don't have a retail shop to plug in my writeup. Maybe if I just put my home address in there, people will come by and drop money off on my porch.
    • Shorties, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Ok Finished, Yeah I have to agree with the title they definitely are the best chocolate chip cookies! Highly Recommended A++++++++++++
    • WhyTwoKay, on 10/12/2007, -12/+8But will it blend?
    • signal15, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I've made these before. They are pretty good, but they don't even compare to the ones in this book:

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936184744/002-8071473-1637605?ie=UTF8&tag=brewtuscom-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0936184744

      They have a white choco/macadamia recipe also that is just insane. They stay soft for weeks too. The cookies in this article get hard after a couple of days unless you nuke them before eating them. Their cookies in this book are better than any I've had at any restaurant, bakery, or coffee shop. My friends and family beg me for them.
    • Chewie67, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, here's the report -- My wife made these for Christmas. I have to admit, these are probably the best Chocolate Chip cookies we've ever made at home.

      Yum!
  • OrlyonokEaglet, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12quote:
    "4 cups semisweet chunks (preferably imported)"

    why imported?? I wouldn't want anything else than American chocolate chips in them... perfect size and taste
    of course to each their own :)
    • martalli, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22lol - imported from where? Pennsylvania? Germany? India?
    • benjic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21^^ Right from the baking aisle.
    • sporkmonger, on 10/12/2007, -1/+34Because frankly, my sense of nationalism is quite easily overcome by Swiss chocolate.
    • an0nymous, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Unpasteurized is better and not manufactured in the US. Same with cheese.
    • xutopia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Because imported most likely means European and that means:

      1) higher cocoa content
      2) cocoa butter instead of palm oil or or some other even less healthy substitute
      3) no "artificial flavor" in the ingredients list
      4) no wax added to make it melt at a given temperature (although I've never seen any in chocolate chips I've seen it in chocolate syrup meant for consumption with ice cream)

      The laws in Europe are very strict in regards to chocolate and even chocolate bars (until recently) would not have any artificial chocolate flavor. Unfortunately all that was stated isn't necessarily true nowadays because a company is perfectly allowed to create lower quality chocolates and export them to the USA or some other country with lax regulations in regards to the foods they eat.
    • Monkleto, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I prefer European chocolate to American chocolate any day. For a perfect example of the rich Eurpoean chocolate, readily available in America, go grab a Reisen choclate chew.
    • anchorman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@martalli

      Yes... not just from where... but to where?

      The geeks living in 'Best Chocolate Chips in the World' Land are surely reading digg too. Imagine how confused they are.
    • bbqplate, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0i dont know, out of all the fancy chocolate chips i ever bought, my favorite has always been Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chunks
    • gaoshan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0I assumed she meant for all of the European and Asian readers to import American chocolate for this recipe. I could be wrong.
  • fuckingusername, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1to have a really fun Xmass replace the chocolate chips with chocolate flavored X-lax
    make sure you load your guest up with thease delitefull treats when they are on their way out the door.
  • daox, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0I found this recipe: http://blog.josephhall.com/2006/11/chocolate-chip-cookies.html to be very good as well as quite informative on the techniques of cookie making.
    • sirloin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+37I like your recipe because it specifies, Chicken eggs
      and i have been using fish eggs all these years.. no wonder everyone has hated my cookies.
    • rhizome, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2That sounds much better than the donkey eggs my mom used to use.
  • rocko213, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Oh lordy, this is probably just another one of those "best pizza in new york is made like this!" or "best macaroni and cheese is made like this!" type of articles. Taste and "best" is in the eye (or in this case, mouth) of the beholder.
  • Indyanna, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe: use the traditional Tollhouse recipe (on the back of the bags of Nestle's Tollhouse chocolate chips), but in place of the 1 cup of margarine/butter, use 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup margarine/butter. Not only does it taste better, it also makes a dough that's easier to handle.
  • adragontattoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I add Peanut Butter in with the regular butter, it makes the cookies moister and assuming no peanut allergies, much better tasting. Then again I also like adding extra chocolate as well.

    *damn you IndyAnna for beating me to the Peanut butter suggestion.
  • nepawoods, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Maybe digg should have a seperate section for recipes.

    (sarcasm? even I'm not sure)
    • adamsucks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Digg users are mostly guys.. I doubt a recipe section would stand the test of time very well here. The only recipes most of us here care about are ones that require opening a package and using a microwave. Sad but true.
    • eskay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15There are food geeks out there too.
    • wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Are you kidding me? If there is ever a group of individual on the internet who, as a group, are seriously in need of some basic recipes and tips on cooking, it is the Digg audience.

      BTW, making good cookies, I have found, requires a KitchenAid stand mixer. You need it to properly cream the butter and sugar.
    • Shorties, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Actually a recipe section isn't that bad of an idea, I mean there is already Ctrl Alt Chicken getting Digg fans interested in cooking, plus I know most guys like junk food (At least I do), which we can learn how to cook.
    • x713, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Personally, I would love a recipe section. At least I would actually be able to show my girl how I can make some food instead of compiling some code. :P Besides, I am sure most diggers would love to actually learn to cook for a change.
    • citrusfizz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1i love to cook but i am just a novice... i would love a section on digg for recipes and howtos
    • mt78, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@citrusfizz

      Lifehacker is a good site for which you seek.
  • tbeseda, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1damn altitude will tear this recipe apart.
    do i cook longer, shorter, higher/lower temp? I can't remember...
  • adamsucks, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12It's funny to think about a bunch of tech-junkie diggers baking cookies. Don't forget your aprons, ladies. ;D
  • Wisgary, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2I think each person should get to decide what tastes "the best" for them. "The best" recipe for them is not necessarily the best for me. Maybe I like dog ***** on my chocolate chip cookies, what makes them decide their *****-less version is the "perfect" cookie?

  • Ssj6Kirby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15There's one ingredient they missed.

    8 cups of Love. <3
    • Nickatnite101, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3No thanks I already had Diarrhea today...
    • MadOtaku, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Digg is getting so damn cheesy... *hugs*
    • UnderWurlde, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ohhh. You shouldn't have! *hihihi* We're getting soooo cheesy! **H&K** Merry X-Mas to all Diggers *snickers*

      )sarcasm off)
  • skoopie, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Here's another really good chocolate chip cookie recipe I found online a while back. It even has some great photos of each step. http://www.lifespringphotography.com/blog/2006/06/leanns-secret-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
    • Pignanelli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Honey, that Crisco is cheap, hydrogenated, and deadly. Spring for the real thing: butter.
    • sogracefully, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1haha, butter is pure saturated fat! it's not better than crisco in terms of any sort of health measure.
  • Vanle, on 10/12/2007, -13/+0Perfect CHoco chip cookie recipe:

    1 x ferret, alive is possible
    1 x ben & jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream

    let the ice cream melt, let the ferret eat the cookie dough chunks, scare ferret into swallowing chunks whole ( this improves the flavor). Kill ferret, eat soul. Let chocolate dough balls ferment for 15 days under a nigerian sun. Remove from ferret's intestine and bake. YUM mm mm good.
  • Alphateam, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Alton Brown makes a fine cookie.
    He has 3 different recipes.
    A thin, puffy, and a chewy.
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_17114,00.html
  • djtaka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I like the Toll House one with white chocolate.
  • dattaway, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm glad they found how to make the perfect cookie. This recepie has been printed on the bags of Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips for at least 30 years.
  • klosier, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dank cookies.
  • yonoz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
  • bigstinky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I find that using margarine yields a chewier cookie. Butter makes them tastier, but also adds crispiness. If you're not careful with bringing the unsalted butter to room temp, the butter may slack- (melt) too much in which case a really flat cookie will be the final result. Flat, crispy cookies while still enjoyable, can't compare to the proper toll house. I like to use 1 butter stick and 1 margarine.
  • gert2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Those cookies are doughy in the middle, but nearly burnt on the edges and bottom. Those are not perfect.
    www.cooksillustrated.com
    Cook's tests tons of ways to do everything. Check it out.
  • PhillyMJS, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I just use the recipe on the Nestle bag, but double the chocolate. I baked 1,192 of 'em last weekend to give to family, friends, co-workers and clients. I do it every year around Christmas.

    ~Philly
  • Mikekuul, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Is anyone else surprised by the lack of "But will it blend?" comments in this story?

    I am not much of a home baker myself, but my sister might like to know this, dugg.
    • citrusfizz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4more like happy for it.. until you chimed in
  • MrESaulved, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Whatever cookie batter I end up using, best or not, it's really the Kitchen Aid mixer that handles the batter far better than I can, cookie dough is very hard to mix by hand. Superior batter makes for superior cookies! Also, making sure your butter hasn't separated is clutch as well, most people apply too much heat to melt butter. (The secret is to stop heating the butter when there is still a solid chunk of it floating around in it.)

    And to those of you who suggested margarine as an acceptable product to ingest, were you also the same people who enjoyed eating crayons as lost youth? Margarine is just one molecular step away from plastics in my mind. If you are going to die from something, and you are, die naturally with butter in your veins.

    -Signed,
    Kitchen Aid, Dairy Farmers Combined Alliance for Conditioned Cookie Dough Reform
  • kodekitten, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Making the perfect anything in baking has a lot to do with consistency of technique and measurement. You could have the perfect recipe (which dictates ideal proportions), but if you have poor measurement skills, you will not get the results you want. Additionally, if you have poor laboratory (or kitchen) precision, you'll only be able to produce palatable results some of the time, or even none of the time.

    This is due to there being so many variables in baking and each one of them needs to be taken into consideration separately. These include, but are not limited to, the temperature of the eggs, liquid dairy, liquid and solid fats, density of packed sugars and density of flour and other dry ingredients. So many home cooks measure with measuring cups by volume and recipes have tried to give people some indication of amounts by telling them to sweep the top with their finger or with a knife. However, although things like granulated sugar and milk won't change (you've got other things to worry about with them), flour and other powders have very different volumes depending on the temperature and humidity in that place and how they have been stored. This is why professional bakeries and cooks always measure all ingredients by weight with a scale. Doing this eliminates a vast amount of error in recipes by ensuring that your ratios will always be the same regardless. Sometimes, what is listed as "3 cups" of flour in a recipe when measured out by weight actually only comes out to 1.5-2 cups due to high humidity and flour that is tightly packed. Recipes tell you to sift in order to help this, but there's still no substitute for a good kitchen scale.

    Oh, and remember: French cooks and homemakers do not refrigerate their eggs, so many french recipes calling for eggs really want room-temperature eggs. Little things like these do make a difference!

    Moral: Go buy yourself a scale, grab a recipe book that lists grams or ounces and go! Not only will your baked goods always be the same, but there is nothing more easy than putting a bowl on the scale and pouring until you have the right weight. Measuring cups are for weenies!
    • Timmmm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1> This is why professional bakeries and cooks always measure all ingredients by weight with a scale.

      Well, and everyone in England and probably many other countries. Cups are such a silly unit. Honestly! Get with the times! Next you'll be telling me your rocket scientists still use feet and inches!
  • Pignanelli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2These will be good, but to make them even better, for half the flour substitute oats pulverized in a food processor .

    One thing to keep in mind about flours in general is that, in addition to varied processing, each wheat plant is genetically individual like we are; so, some flours are better than other for various purposes. Try whole wheat flours in various baked goods (pizza dough, bread, cookies, muffins) for a richer, more complex taste and a more healthful product.
  • DanaG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Just for a chuckle, here's a Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

    http://www.myfastrecipes.com/recipes/2005/09/single-serve-cookies.asp .
  • gjallard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I guess this is OK, but this recipe feels like another "toppings are more important than the base" recipe. This recipe has more butter fat and several times the amount of chocolate chips than other recipes I use. Of course it has a lot of taste appeal, its butter and chocolate with enough flour to make sure it doesn't fall apart. A cookie should be a balanced blend of flavors and textures, not a convenient way to get butter and chocolate into your mouth.
  • recipes, on 02/05/2008, -0/+0i love the single serving recipe, but i think these are the ultimate: http://www.fasteasyrecipe.com/blog/2007/10/ultimat ...
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