The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This is the best recipe hands down. It's from America's Test Kitchen with a couple of changes. You can all thank me later! :-) As we all know ovens vary so watch your baking times. Check after 10 minutes. If you make them, please let me know what you think.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes about 16 Large Cookies

Use a stainless steel skillet to melt the butter. Use fresh, moist brown sugars, as hardened brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1¼ cups Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Melt 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer butter to large heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir until completely melted.

3. Add brown sugars, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla to melted butter; whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and egg yolk; whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Refrigerate the dough for up to 1 hour before baking. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes if dough is too hard to scoop. When ready, pre-heat the oven to 375°.

4. Using a #24 cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop dough and scrape off excess dough from bottom of scoop. Place portions 2 inches apart on baking sheets. It calls for parchment paper but I opted to bake right on my cookie sheets and they came out fine.

5. Bake 1 sheet at a time (or two sheets side by side on the same rack if your sheets are narrow enough to do so) until cookies are golden brown and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; let cookies cool to room temperature.

moviefan in Home Cooking

Le Creuset 13 x 9 Roaster/Roasting Pan

Thanks Rich. I just thought the content within the roaster would cook more evenly, even though it's in a consistent heat environment. I use a glass one now so why spend the money just to get a Le Creuset version if I don't have to. If I find a good deal on one I may buy it, but I guess I shouldn't run out and get one expecting it to cook any better, right?

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Dutch Oven Beef Stew - When to add the potatoes & carrots

I've made stew before and it always turned out pretty good but this will be the first time I'll be cooking it in my new 6-3/4 qt wide Le Creuset dutch oven and was wondering if I should wait to add the potatoes and carrots after the beef has been cooking for a while. The recipe calls for it all to simmer for an hour to an hour and a half in the dutch oven and I think that's a little too long for the potatoes and carrots. Don't want them too soft. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

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Le Creuset 13 x 9 Roaster/Roasting Pan

I would like to get a roasting pan. Le Creuset has two different ones as far as I can tell. The cheaper stoneware version and the more expensive porcelain enameled cast iron version. I would imagine because of the price, the latter would cook more evenly, correct?

All this aside, does anyone know which size would be better for all the cake/brownie/lasagna recipes that call for a 13x9 pan? Their sizes are either 9.5 x 12, 8 x 12 or 10 x 14 depending on which version you choose. At least I've never seen a true 13 x 9 size. I'm leaning 10 x 14.

If anyone has any opinion, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!!

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 2 3/4 qt Sonoma Green Round Dutch Oven

I've been researching this one lately and have yet to find a great deal. While Googling I found that back in July, Sonoma had this one for $69.99. Ouch. If anyone can help me find a similar deal on this size or the 3 1/2 qt one I would greatly appreciate it. I would love the Sonoma Green but would take almost any color at this price!

Thanks!

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5 Qt. or 7Qt Dutch Oven

Ahh yes, I too was in a similar predicament. I was torn between the 7.25 qt. round and the 6.75 round "wide" one. I did buy the 5.5 quart originally but turned around and sold it and bought the 6.75 wide round. I cooked one batch of chili and one chicken dish in my 5.5 qt and as it turns out I didn't have much room to spare not to mention with the chicken dish I had to brown it in batches. That's why I chose the 6.75. I just love it. You can brown chicken, make roasts, brown ground beef better and yet you can still do everything else in this one that you can in the 7.25 one. Stews, chili's, etc. But it all depends on how many you're cooking for. My chili was for 3 with leftovers for 3 and then some. The whole chicken lasted two days, about 3 or 4 servings I would say. Good luck in your decision. Here's a link to Williams-Sonoma website with people reviewing the 6.75 wide round one: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/c217_1/?pkey=ccookware-le-creuset%7Cckwlceazr

moviefan in Cookware

Is the Le Creuset 2qt Dutch Oven smaller than 2 quarts?

I just got my new 2 qt Le Creuset dutch oven (#18) in the mail and it's smaller than my other 2 qt. non-stick one I currently own. As a matter of fact, it's so much smaller that the whole pot sits inside my current one. Yes, I poured 2 quarts of water into it and it does fit (barely) but the water fits much more nicely in my other 2 quart.

Has anyone else noticed this? I guess Le Creuset is making theirs with with no room to spare. Two quarts almost to the brim. People may say "well if it holds 2 quarts then it's 2 quarts" but all my other 2 quart pots are bigger than this Le Creuset for one reason or another. Just curious.

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

Thanks blondelle, but that's the one I originally returned. Great price, though! I'm glad too I just hope I'll be happy with it. BB &B told me I could return it and get the another one if I change my mind. Even AFTER I used it! How nice is that?! I think mine are due in on Thursday so I can't wait to Christen them next weekend with a nice pot roast or stew!

~ Ed

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

Mind made up. I bought the 6 3/4 wide one in black onyx at Bed Bath & Beyond. Had a 20% off coupon so it was a sweet deal. Also picked up a 2qt. dutch oven (another 20% off as well). I'd like to thank everyone for all your opinions and help!!

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

So many great replies! Thanks so much everyone. Six burner cooktop? I'm jealous!

The main reason I wouldn't get the 7 1/4 qt. (and I am basing this on the 5.5 qt I once owned) is that when I cooked a whole cut up chicken, I had to brown it in batches and then cook them piled up on one another in the pot (along with chicken stock, garlic etc.). I was worried that the pieces on the bottom got cooked faster than those at the top. Not that they tasted any more cooked, though. These LC's are suppose to cook evenly, right? Should I worry about stacking without rearranging during cooking?

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

True. I have many non-stick skillets and pots I use now and I do own a nice 12" cast iron skillet. I can see your point about the 7 1/4. I just wanted an "all-in-one" for browning, braising and cooking and that's why I was leaning towards the 6 3/4.

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

You're right--I was JUST looking at the website with that recipe and it WAS a flat roast. My bad! Sorry---guess I was thinking of the bigger beef roasts (tied with string like you said). Let me ask you a question---I read in some recipe they said to make sure the meat fits kind of snugly in the pot. Is this how a roast should cook? Will the bigger landscape of the wider 6 3/4 pose any problems; if the bottom isn't entirely covered with food? WIll it still cook evenly? Here's that recipe I was telling you about: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pot_roast/

Le Creuset in action! Looks like a 5.5 or a 7 1/4.

moviefan in Cookware

Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt. wide round or 7-1/4 qt. round Dutch Ovens

Great info. I don't think I'll lose too much volume with it being a half quart less in size. But what I don't like is that some recipes I've been wanting to make call for a pot roast (for example) to be covered and simmered for a couple hours. I'm not sure the 6 3/4 is high enough. I guess in the end I'll have to just bite the bullet and choose one and it will probably be the 6 3/4. Thanks for your input!

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