Chocolate Chip Cookies -- Again!

I am so mad at myself!!

Remember that I was trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe?  Buttery, crispy and chewy?  And that I found it right away and it was my mom's recipe--in which she used no butter?  Shortening only!  Okay, that's kind of funny -- but in discovering the best chocolate cookie recipe I slowed down... way WAY down in making my way thru this cookbook:

(as well as my own personal collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes that people have given me/swear by)

So today I was going to get back on track-- I knew I had some photos of a cookie in my drafts -- two cookies to be exact.  I compared and contrasted two different cookies from this book.  Funny thing is, I didn't mark anything or make any notes and it's been so long I don't know which two I made!  I have a vague recollection of one of the recipes, but... ??  I certainly can't use a vague recollection or pretend I remember.  Which means these photos are USELESS! And I have to start from scratch again.

Just look at these photos tho.  I find it amazing that by taking the same basic ingredients and doing some mixing and matching, cookies can come out so differently. Crunchy and hard, chewy and soft, crispy and chewy and buttery.

I'm off now---off to make some chocolate chip cookies!

I better take notes... before I forget.

Friday Friend Recipe #141 -- Chocolate Chip Cookies (#19 in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Countdown)

I used this coffee cup in honor of Barb, our much-loved, unanimously titled Spelling Nazi.

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #141!

(and #19 in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Countdown)

(#willreallyfinishthissomeday)

Barb's Chocolate Chip  Cookies

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Ucan't raellly go wring weth a chocalite chip cookie.

Evrr. 

Btu thees cookees our relly relly gudd. 

Very mouest and sfot. N theyy saty frish along tme.

thhe pudin jsut giivs n xtra pucnch ta tehm.

Whew! That was so hard.  It's hard to spell wrong on purpose!

I really did use this coffee cup for this post-- I do love it!  I might spell things wrong once in a while, but I do notice, the to, too and two's that are wrong...also the they're, there and their's.

And I have a quirky idiosyncrasy when it comes to grammar.

If someone writes --I have a friend that loves ice-cream ---

THAT SCREAMS OUT TO ME!!  A friend is a person...a person not an intimate object, so please say,  "I have a friend who loves ice-cream. "

Thank you very much.

Other than that small idiosyncrasy spelling mistakes don't bother me at all, but for my good friend Barb? Well, she takes her spelling seriously. Very seriously.

This must be why I don't Barb----

This is Barb's 31st appearance in the Friday Friend Cookbook  Countdown--you can check them all out by clicking on this link!

I don't really have a funny story this time, but we did get to meet up with Barb and  Doug in Arizona last month, when we went to the Grand Canyon, so that was FUN!  It had been a while since we've seen them, let alone gotten together with them.  It was just an evening for dinner, but we have high hopes to catch up again soon.

We did take a couple pictures of all of us

If I leave this one smaller, I look smaller, right?

Surprise! 

We did get together with Barb about 10 days later. She came thru and stayed a couple of nights with us on her way to Washington State, where she stays at her son's beach house for a couple of months.  Doug flies up for a few weeks in the middle.

Ahhhh.....sounds good!

Seriously....her biggest decision this week (she posted on Facebook this morning) is  what coffee cup to use

I voted for Jake the Alligator Man!  and that one dolphin cup in the middle is the runner up.

Coffee and books on a beach chair!  You go Barb!

That's recipe #141!

Only 153 to go!

Chocolate Chip Cookie #18 in the search for the perfect one

In the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie (which is my mom's  cookie by the way)--don't count this one in!

And I feel horrible for saying that as it is a finalist in this cookbook:

A FINALIST!

But... while it had a great texture coming out of the oven--very crisp/crunchy with a chewy inside -- it did not hold up.  The next day, they were  soft-ish (lost their crisp/crunchy bite) and then dry inside.  And....and.... they didn't taste great.  Whoever thought I'd say that about  a chocolate chip cookie?  Not me!  But they weren't worth keeping around, so I tossed them.

Yes.  Threw them away.  We ate a few, but even the Handyman said they weren't worth keeping.

I'm not sharing the recipe, but if you really want to try it for yourself,  tell me in the comments and I'll get you that recipe.

They look pretty tho!

It was a very sad day.

They were not so Joyous, after all.

Please forgive me Robin Joy Minnick wherever you are.

I'm sure it had to do with altitude!  And humidity. 

and old corn syrup, that's it!

Who am I to judge?!

Chocolate Chip Cookie #17

I just looked to see when I began this Chocolate Chip Cookie Journey.

My first post was  December 30th, 2011.

Click here for a look back at the Chocolate Chip Journey!

Everyone's favorite cookie!

Okay, just a little over 4 years and I'm on Chocolate Chip Cookie #17.

That's 4.25 times a year I make chocolate chip cookies. Which is average, I guess, if you are just making cookies, BUT really, really slow if you are trying to make your way thru a specific cookbook of chocolate chip cookies.

I need to up my game!

This cookie was made with 3 types of chips!  

What do you think of mixing up chips/chocolate?  Is it for you, or are you a purist who just wants the semi-sweet morsel?

 I wrote in the cookbook margin--at first glance this is too many chips for me.

I have to be honest,  I only use half as many chips as  are usually called for. I like more cookie and less chocolate.

Weird, huh?

Anyway--too many chips, BUT. the margin on the other side said they were okay.

I did not write good, I wrote okay.  

In my house, no cookie goes to waste tho, so all were eaten-- just to be sure we thought they actually were okay.

And most of the time, changes do need to be made for high altitude baking.

It looks like I wrote that at the bottom, but I can't tell you exactly what I did. Raise the temp?  Cook an extra minute? Add 1T of flour?

Sorry, but I figure you already have your #1 ch. chip cookie recipe-- you are just kindly walking with me as I count down this book--so I'm leaving this recipe as is and not retyping it. 

 If you  happen live above 4000 feet and feel compelled to make this recipe--it is a FINALIST after all--send me a message and I will get the cookbook out and tell you what I did to alter it.

One good cookie!

Chocolate Chip Cookie #16

Although this is the 16th cookie in the Chocolate Chip search it is only #15 in this cookbook:

 

and altho I have found my perfect chocolate chip cookie, I am still going to count my way thru this cook book.

Because it's fun.  (kind of)

And I said I would (but I'm very slow)

And apparently, I am obsessed with countdowns!

(The Friday Friend Cookbook)

(My Cookbook Countdown)

 

We've established the fact that I am not a food photographer or stylist.

I mean how many ways can one photograph a bunch of cookies?

After a while--they all look the same.

 

This time I decided to stick an old cookie jar in the picture.

This one was my grandma's.

I don't use it to put actual cookies in. For that I just use a big glass jar.

But this old lady/cookie jar is lovely to look at.

Do you have a cookie jar?

 

I have a lot to say about chocolate chip cookies this time.  In general.

But first, let me tell you what the Handyman said of this cookie  (he actually likes to help me with this project and is never afraid to give his honest opinion)

He said,  "Meh...you've made better."

 

There you have it!

Dad's Favorite Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies are not a big hit.

 

I wrote: (yes I write in this cookbook)  "Okay, but not on the top of our list"

 

So, again--There you have it!

These were not our favorites, BUT, this did not stop us from eating them.  Of course.

 

Dad's Favorite Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

6 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

3 eggs

2 tbls vanilla extract

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cups chopped pecans (or 1 cup pecans - 1 cup walnuts)

 

Sift together flour, soda and salt, and set aside.

Combine the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla and cream very well.

Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Shape into balls.

Bake at 350F for 7-9 minutes.

Do not overbake; sides should be slightly browned, but centers will look gooey.

 



Yesterday my good friend, Mitzi, sent me a link to an article from NPR

here it is

The cookie link

It's the SCIENCE behind making your favorite chocolate chip cookie.

It's all chemistry my friends.

I read it and found it very interesting.

It had a couple of links to some great cookie making advice.

 

 

It's a good day to make some chocolate chip cookies!

Let me know what you come up with.

 

Food 'n Flix, Friday Friend Recipe #53, and Chocolate Chip Cookie #15

 

Food 'n Flix is a group of bloggers who get together every month to watch a movie, and then head into the kitchen and mix up something inspired by the flick. 

There is always room for another pillow in front of the tellie, and another chair around the table. So if you're a blogger who wants to join in the fun, please feel free to jump in at any moment.

 May's Flick was chosen by Heather from Girlichef.   She has chosen The Goonies.

 

Now, the Goonies actually holds a soft spot in my heart. I did not grow up in the 80's... BUT, my kids did.  This was one of their 'watch, over and over and over' films.   I love thinking back on winter afternoons, when my little boys--were LITTLE, and we would pop popcorn and settle down to watch this.

VHS!  Rented!

And then we pirated it and taped it from one VHS player to another, so we could watch it whenever we wanted.

(I'll probably go to prison now.  Or hell.)

We were rebels.

A few years ago, I ordered the movie to stick in their Christmas stockings.

And then just last month, I sat down with my 6 year old grandchildren to re-watch it.

(which probably wasn't a great idea.  Don't tell their parents.  It had more bad words than I remembered. )

It's still a great movie! Filled with numerous food inspirations, which brings me back to this blog post.

 

When you watch the movie (because OF COURSE you've seen the movie, right?  It's a classic!), do you ever notice how many times the characters are shoving potato chips in their mouths?

Well, I did... it happens right off the bat, when they start gathering in Mikey's house.

So I got to thinking that my friend Debbie, made some chocolate chip cookies with potato chips, called Chocolate Crunchies.

Well, it turns out her recipe had cornflakes in it, but I was still thinking,  sweet and salty and crunchy.

Yeah..it could work.

I'll give it a try--substitute potato chips for the cornflakes. 

If you look close, you can see the potato chips in the cookies.

For full disclosure--I did half and half--potato chips AND cornflakes.

I think these are a treat Chunk would have loved!  

 

 Chocolate Crunchies

Inspired by the Goonies

and my friend (a Friday Friend, no less), Debbie Engstrom

Winnemucca, NV

 Sift together:

3 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Blend together:

1 cup butter

1 egg

1 T milk

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Add 1 cup oil alternately with flour mixture.

Stir in:

1 cup cornflakes

OR

1 cup crumbled potato chips

OR

half of each

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. 

 

*on Youtube, there is a video of  

all things wrong with the Goonies in under 8 minutes.

It's kind of funny to watch, because YES, there are many improbable situations and inconsistencies, but that is beside the point.

Fun movie!!

Brings back good memories.

Stop now!

If you just came for Food 'n Flix, that is.

The rest is just my junk.

but...it's not bad junk.

In fact, it's kind of interesting!

Junk is a relative term.

It's important junk to me.

Those Friday Friends are like that---important to me!

(sigh) Read on if you must... 

   

********************

I am linking this up to my Chocolate Chip Cookie Countdown.

It is #15.

As for the cookie---it really is a great one.

In my 15 tries, I haven't really found a bad one. Some I like more than others, of course---this one would go in the top category.  It has a nice crunch and because it has oil it is soft too.

*****************

And because  I am making every single recipe in my Friday Friend Cookbook 

(like Julie and Julia)

I am killing two birds with one stone here... Or 3.

Anyway....

Friday Friend Recipe #53:  Chocolate Crunchies 

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook:   I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county).  At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions,  exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts,  had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND,  we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to this... recipe #53

(too see all the Friday Friend posts/recipes click here)

Debbie E's

Chocolate Crunchies Cookies

 It was a cold and gray rainy afternoon.

 

And I thought it good to watch a movie and make cookies.

I bought my huge box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes....

 

Added them, AND the potato chips!

 

And my best Tuesday morning friend--wait!  I didn't add her too, but thought of her while I made her recipe.

(we just has coffee this 6am, cuz she's on her way to New York tomorrow)

Debbie Engstrom!

(for all her recipe posts, click here)

(I KNOW all you bloggers know that, but I have to put that because none of my Friday Friends have a blog nor do they know anything about them)

This is her 8th recipe to date, but her 9th appearance in the Friday Friend Blog!

 

Here is her story/fact for the day---and it's fitting on Memorial Day:

 

She and her husband Charlie are huge history lovers/buffs.

Here they are during a Nevada Day Celebration in Carson City, NV

Our state's motto is:  Battle Born

We became a state during the Civil War.

But the other thing is...tying into Memorial Day....

She has two sons-in-law, who are officers in the Army.

One, Kyle,  has already served a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

He is home now, stationed in New York.  Just gave Debbie her 5th grandchild.

And she is headed there tomorrow!

But this goofy guy, is also her son in law, an officer in the Army.

John.

He was deployed 3 weeks ago -- to Afghanistan.

(he's married to the goofy girl in the photo.   They now have a 2 month old son.) 

 She is happy to be known for her

Chocolate Crunchies, 

but I  know

that she would be most happy if

we kept all military  men and women as well as their families in our prayers.

And thank them all the time for their service and sacrifice.

Happy Memorial Day 2015!