Posted on 12/31/2011 9:09:18 AM PST by libertarian27
Short of changing your recipe, there are two things you can do ... thoroughly chill the dough prior to baking AND roll the dough into a ball between your palms instead of simply dropping from a spoon.
I always like books about the science of baking. Once you learn one fact it can make a whole lot of difference in the baking result. Most cookbooks never explain anything like this. I’ll bet Amazon has a cheap copy.
I wish I could get into Alton more. I know he’s the smartest guy on FN but his shows are so gimmicky it drives me nuts.
This is an excellent chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies are large, and the trick is to use a 1/4 C. measuring cup to measure the dough, and just barely press the cookies down on the baking tray. Do not flatten them but just a bit, and don’t overbake. Cookies will look “raw” in the middle and golden brown on the edges, but they are done!
Happy New Year!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 bag (24 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet, and you might have to buy two 11—12 oz bags, if no big ones are available)
I also add about 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs with spoon until well-blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by level ¼ cupfuls about 2 inches apart. Flatten just slightly with fork.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). The trick is to not over-bake them. The edges will be light golden, and the centers quite soft-looking, and you will think they need more baking, but they don’t. I generally bake them about 13 to 13 ½ minutes. 15 minutes would make them too crunchy (but that depends on your oven, of course).
Is there any way (ideally, of course, reading the label) to tell if packaged flour does contain baking powder, and, if so, how much?
I'd think that by not knowing, one could screw up quite a number of recipes.
Not really on a practical level.
I thought that “self-rising” flour was the only kind that has baking powder and salt. Is this wrong?
Sorry, gypsy, don’t know the answer to that one. To hear that “all-purpose” flour has b.p. is news to me...but I don’t doubt it. Have to do some research.
Happy New year......
Several months ago I began baking artisan bread.
I got some good help from FReepers on these threads and make a pretty good loaf. The product has a good tough crust and tastes very good.
3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp of bread machine red star yeast, 2 tsp of sugar,2 tsp of salt 1 1/4 cups of water mixed with a spatula in a plastic bowl and then mixed thoroughly by hand. It is allowed to rise for 2 1/2 hours on the stove top. It is baked on ceramic floor tile baking stones in an oven with a water tray for 28- 30 minutes at 450.
I place the yeast into warm water in which the sugar is dissolved. I let the yeast grow and foam up for 15 minutes or so before adding the flour.
The problem is that it does not rise enough. It seems heavy.
I would like the crumb air cells to be a little bigger and the loaf a little lighter.
Is there a ratio of water to flour ratio that controls? I think the water is at a minimum to permit through mixing.
The same mix made in a bread machine has a better texture but not the crusty shell i favor
Critique?, Suggestions?
Happy New Years to all
Lady Bender is doing her Christmas Dinner this evening. It will be Roast Garlic with a Prime Rib Roast attached, Mashed Garlic with a hint of potatoes plus all the usual accouterments including Sour Cream Apple and home grown Punkin Pies.
May you all have a Healthy New Year so you can survive the current diaster in D.C and state Capitols across the fruit filled plaine...
Picked up a nice rack of baby back ribs. Anyone got a good barbecue sauce recipe? I was going to put a rub on it tonight, wrap it in foil and put it in a slow oven tomorrow, with the sauce.
Love It!!!!
Has anyone made some really good Pink Champaign Cookies? I bought some at a nearby Mom and Pop bakery and they were Delish as my Dear Old Mother would say. Lady Bender bakes several hundred cookies a week for our son’s complimentary coffee bar...
Pink Champagne Cookies
2 ½ cups pink champagne
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ sugar
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
Red food coloring
½ cup sugar (for rolling)
2 cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Reduce champagne in a medium saucepan over high heat until it measures ¾ cup, about 20 minutes. Chill ½ cup reduced champagne; set aside ¼ cup for the icing.
Whisk together flour and baking powder in a bowl; set aside.
Cream sugar, shortening, and food coloring (if desired) in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Gradually mix in ½ cup reduced champagne. The shortening will look curdled.
Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated into a soft dough.
Scoop cookie dough with a #60 scoop (about 2 tablespoons). Roll cookies in granulated sugar to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and gently flatten with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup dipped in sugar. Bake cookies until edges are set, 12-15 minutes.
For the icing: whisk powdered sugar, the remaining ¼ cup of reduced champagne and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined. Dip tops of cookies into icing and let stand until icing sets. Decorate cookies with cake sprinkles, decorating sugar, or sugar pearls if desired.
NOTE: One bottle of pink champagne reduces to 1 and ½ cups, enough for the recipe two complete times.
Thanks to all who responded regarding my thin chocolate chip cookies. It looks like chilling and butter flavored shortening may be the answer along with making certain air is incorporated into the batter and also unheated cookie sheets. Anxious to try again.
Thanks. Anxious to try your recipe. It is different from any I have.
You’re welcome!
These cookies have made me “famous.” Everyone LOVE-LOVES them! You will probably have to “experiment” on a batch or two to get them just like you want them. We love the soft, moist kind, so they have to come out of the oven when you think they’re not quite done. I always have to resist baking them longer, because when I do, they’re too crunchy.
You’re welcome. Hope you like them.
To me that reads as though you have too much fat in the recipe be it butter, or shortening, but I don’t know your recipe.
I read a post about too high a heat, but that usually makes for textural difference than thickness. For those that use multiple cookie/jelly roll sheet pans be sure to be consistant with type. The type of pan will effect the outcome of your cookies. Aluminum will make lighter colored cookies that are softer, and the dark stamped steel sheet pans will make your cookies darker, and crispier in the identical amounts of baking time at the same temperatures.
Thanks kcvl. That looks a bunch better then some of the recipes that WE found on line.
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