I've long been a fan of the Cook's Illustrated "Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe. It turns out a substantial, rustic cookie with a good chew. The problem is that while they taste great fresh from the oven or a few hours later, within a day or two the cookies get stale (even in burped storage containers). "A day or two?" you wonder, "How in the world are your cookies lasting that long?" These cookies are large, and one cookie is plenty. Since I'm primarily eating these myself, a batch can last a while. Part of the problem may be that the cookies are fairly thick, and that makes it difficult to get the timing right to ensure that all the dough is completely baked. Underbaked dough is fine in a fresh cookie, but turns into a layer of granite when the cookie cools. I can save part of the dough and bake more fresh ones as needed, but I'd prefer not to have to worry about the problem at all.
Enter Alton Brown. I'm a long-time fan of his Food Network program Good Eats, which I heartily recommend to you as, hands-down, the most fun and educational food program ever. In his chocolate chip cookie show, Alton covers three cookie varieties-- the thin, the puffy, and the chewy, explaining the recipe modifications which result in the changes among the cookies. "The Chewy" produces a great, chewy cookie that also holds up well to longer-term storage, and has become my chocolate chip recipe of choice. Don't feel too bad, Cook's-- I still love your chicken pot pie.
Posted by Peter at June 3, 2004 3:21 PM