Thursday, October 11, 2012

Beth's Cookies

Beth's Ultimate Housewife cookies recipes.  I love Beth's chocolate chip cookies and have wondered just how she made them.  If you were lucky enough to watch her demo on Tuesday, you now have the inside scoop.  For the rest of you, here's her recipes and some notes.  Beth makes these by hand so as to not over mix and toughen the cookies.

Ana Olsen's Chocolate Chip Cookies (This is the recipe Beth demonstrated)

3/4 c. unsalted butter - softened
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream together butter and sugars until smooth,  Add egg and vanilla and blend in.  Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in chocolate.  Drop be Tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.


America's Test Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line two cookie sheets with parchement.  Take 10 Tablespoons butter and melt and brown in a metal pan, swirling mixture as milk solids in the butter begin to brown.  Pour into a heat proof bowl.  Add in 4 Tablespoons cold butter and whisk until melted.  Whisk in the two types of sugar.  Whisk in the salt, vanilla and then the eggs.  IMPORTANT: Let mixture stand for three minutes and whisk again.  Repeat this process two more times.  Combine flour and baking soda.  Stir into wet mixture with a large spoon until incoroprated.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Place 3 Tablespoons of dough into mounds two inches apart on cookie sheets.  Place in center of the oven (only one sheet at a time) and bake for 11-14 minutes.


Notes

A little extra vanilla never hurt anybody!

More brown sugar than white creates a chewy cookie rather than crispy.

Butter tastes better but makes a flatter cookie (unless using melted butter recipe).  Crisco or margarine holds its shape better but some don't like the taste and prefer no hydrogenated oils.

If you use margarine - make sure it is AT LEAST 80% vegetable oil.  Otherwise there will be too much water and the cookies will flop!

Consider browning the butter for a more "caramel" flavor.  Yum!!

When using softened butter recipes make sure you cream sugar and butter long enough to incorporate enough air.

Do not overmix.  Mix until flour is barely incorporated.

Do not overbake.  Bake until barely brown around edges and then let cool 2 minutes on pan before removal.


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