How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
While necessity may be the mother of invention, some of life's best treats were stumbled upon quite by accident. Such is the case with chocolate chip cookies--indescribably delectable treats that have been a mainstay in baking for generations. When Ruth Wakefield cooked up the first batch in 1930, she was actually trying to make chocolate cookies and was substituting bits of semi-sweet chocolate for the baking chocolate, thinking the chips would melt down in the batter. Fortunately for cookie lovers, they didn't, and expert and novice chefs alike have been trying to perfect the art of how to make chocolate chip cookies ever since.The traditional recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts, but you can use whatever kind of candy chips or chunks you desire. A single batch yields dozens of cookies, which can be packaged in seasonal boxes or tins for gift-giving (though we won't tell if you decide to keep them all for yourself). This classic cookie recipe is an updated version of the one that appeared in the 1941 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.
Transcript
Hi. I'm Miranda with Recipe.com. And today we're whipping up
a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Now, this classic cookie
is an updated version of a recipe that first appeared
in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook in 1941. So,
classic indeed, it bound to be delicious. Let's get started.
I have our ingredients all laid out here. We're gonna
start with 2-1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 12 ounces
of semi-sweet chocolate pieces. We have chips here. One cup
of packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of granulated
sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of vanilla,
1/2 cup of shortening and 1/2 cup of butter softened.
So I've got a large mixing bowl here and you
will want a hand mixer or some sort of electric
mixer. So we're gonna start by creaming the butter. So
let's put in our butter and our shortening, and we're
just gonna mix this together for about 30 seconds on
low to medium. Great. Now, let's add in our sugars.
And it's always a good idea when you're introducing some
sort of sugar or powder to, you know, a liquid
or fat like this, that you introduce it slowly so
it has time to absorb and it doesn't get overwhelmed.
And the granulated sugar now. And the baking soda. Okay.
Now, let's just scrape the sides. We always wanna make
sure that we're doing that. You'll definitely have some little
rogue pieces of various ingredients stuck to the side and
you wanna make sure everything is combined. Let's give it
one little mix more. Okay. Now, we're ready to add
in the vanilla and our eggs. About another mix until
it combines. This is why the hand mixer saves you,
or an electric mixer. Imagine doing this by hand potentially
in 1941. What strong biceps you would need. Okay. So
now we're gonna start to introduce the flour. Again, we're
gonna introduce that slowly and gradually. And we're gonna put
in as much as we can and beat it together
using the hand mixer. Okay, so this is all combined.
I don't wanna over mix it. There we go, get
that excess. You know that trick, right? If you're trying
to get some excess go up to get out of
the bowl, put it on low and it will just
spin whatever you have stuck on here off. Okay, let's
move this over to this side. Now, we're going to
add in the chocolate for the cookies. This is also
when you would add in the walnuts were you to
do that version. Now, the oven behind me is preheated
at 375 degrees. I am also going to do the
giant version today. So my measurements for the cookie size
is going to be a little bit different. If you
wanted to make 60 cookies out of this, you would
just do 1 rounded teaspoon. That's right, a teaspoon, not
a tablespoon. And you would measure those out on this
ungreased cookie sheet. You would need multiple, obviously, to make
60 cookies. However I'm going to do the giant cookies
today. So I'm using a 1/4 cup dry measure, and
these are gonna be awfully sticky so I'm just warning
you. So, there we go. If you're doing just the
rounded teaspoon, you'll wanna space those 2 inches apart. So
I'm guessing I'm gonna be able to fit about eight
on this cookie sheet here. So, once I'm all done,
we are gonna pop these in the oven 375 degrees.
For the giant cookie, it will be about, you know,
11 to 13 minutes. And then if you go with
just that little size or if you're gonna make those
60 cookies, that'll be about 7 to 8 minutes. So,
let's come back when they've out of the oven and
classically delicious and ready to eat. Okay, so our chocolate
chip cookies cooked for about 13 minutes at 375 degrees.
I cooked them until they were nice and kind of
golden brown around the edges as you can see. So
I'm gonna let them cool before I serve them and
then definitely store them in an airtight container and enjoy
them for up to a week. So there you go.
It was super simple, super delicious. That's how you make
chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for watching. And for more great
recipes and savings, visit us at Recipe.com.
What You'll Need
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
- 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (optional)
Step By Step
1
In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts.
2
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3
Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 60 cookies.
4
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies: Prepare as directed, except use a 1/4-cup dry measure or scoop to drop mounds of dough about 4 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 20 cookies.
5
Macadamia Nut and White Chocolate Cookies: Prepare as directed, except substitute chopped white baking bars or white chocolate baking squares for the semisweet chocolate pieces. Stir in one 3-1/2-ounce jar macadamia nuts, chopped, with the chopped white baking bars or squares.
6
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: Prepare as directed, except press dough into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.
These are just a few of the many variations on how to make chocolate chip cookies. You can experiment with any flavored chips from your grocer's baking section, or use candy-covered chocolates such as M&Ms.
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