Growing up meal time was a "fend for yourself" time. Generally. We did have meals together. Sometimes. As a general rule if you were hungry, you found something to eat or went hungry. After getting were married, I remember my husband asking me what we were going to have for dinner. To me it seemed a funny question. I told him I was going to have cereal and asked him what he was planning to eat. It seemed a perfectly logical to me. (I should say here that my husband was one of six children and they ate nightly meals together). He asked in his very sweet way, “Don’t you think we should make something and eat together?” I was baffled. After all, it wasn’t a birthday, Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. It was a regular
day. It wasn’t even Sunday. “Seriously?” was my response. Probably not what the poor guy wanted to hear. The next night we had meatloaf. I was very proud of myself. It was a regular day, and I had cooked dinner. Again my sweet husband asked (so kindly as to not offend), “Do you think we should have
something with the meatloaf…like potatoes, rice or corn?” “SERIOUSLY???” I had just cooked a main course, which to me was a big deal. The idea that he thought there should perhaps be more on the table was totally foreign. We’ve come along way since then. I now usually cook a nightly meal, not to mention making breakfast & lunches. Cooking has become something I usually enjoy. We are busy with 3 children so meals have to either be very simple and fast, or planned ahead of time. And yes, we do still have cereal for dinner every now and again.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Picture of my cookies
Click here for the source.

Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.  Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.  Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Okay, I played around with the baking of these cookies quite a bit.  As a disclaimer I should say that my oven is from the dark ages.  It took me months to learn how to bake in it.  But, that's a whole other post.  Anyways, I baked the smaller cookies for the recommended 15 minutes and they were way too over done for my taste.  I reduced it to 12 minutes and still thought they were too done.  Then I went to 10 minutes...they seemed very slightly under done.  But if I had to choose, that would be the way I'd go.  Then I baked them for about 10 1/2 minutes and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes.  Those seemed pretty good.  So, anyways, find what works for you, but I would recommend anything from 10-ish to 12 minutes.  Also, I think I like my cookies a little less chocolaty...like 1 1/2 lbs of chocolate for the recipe, but that's my preference.  Oh, I also halved this recipe which made 4-5 dozen.  Good recipe, but I still think cookie dough is better than any cookie ever baked!
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