Saturday, January 24, 2009

Culinary Crusades.... The Chocolate Chip Cookie



Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 (12 oz.) pkg. (2 c.) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped nuts


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. In large mixer bowl combine butter, sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Gradually add chocolate morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen. 2 1/4" cookies.

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All right, by now I think we can all agree that I'm a little bit of a fruit cake. Any how, my boyfriend made these cookies and I loved them. So, as usual, I'm going to try them. Being the supportive, kind, sweet thing that he is-He isn't reading this, so its ok for me to say all those things- he gladly helped me to get the ingredients.

Any ways, once I manage to find the ingredients for any recipe I want to try, I'm always super excited and rush right into it. And rush I did - as soon as I got home.


All things considered, I messed up. I wasn't paying attention, and instead of using the baking soda which the recipe calls for, I used baking powder. Ok, I don't over react...they are both rising agents, how bad can it be?

Next, the butter I meant to use was rock solid since it had been in the refridgerator. The butter is meant to be "soft", so I stick it into the microwave for a little while, just so it would be , you know, less 'rock-like'. By the time I take it out of the device, its a bubbling pool of fat. Being the problem solver that I sometimes think I am.. I stick the mess into the freezer, just so it would be, you know, more butter-like. Are you seeing a pattern here?

So any ways, I manage to overcome all of that and the dough tastes great! So I stuff the tasty wads of dough into the oven and wait... and wait.... and wait..... and wait some more. Sure, the recommended time had long expired, but my cookies were as white as a sheet. Reason you wonder? MY OVEN ONLY GOES UP TO 290 degrees or so!!! Like what am I supposed to do with that? Most cake recipes require baking temperatures of about 350 degrees! Remind me when I'm furnishing my house- Check the maximum temperature on the oven!!

Eventually, after waiting about twice the cooking time, I pull the cookies out. By this time, they certainly aren't white.. but they are rock hard!! Every one at home still liked them, but I was a bit disappointed.

I've decided to try this again. Maybe in a friends oven and see what happens. I will modify the recipe though, I thought it to be a little too sweet for my taste.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Er, 350 degrees... wouldn't that'd be Fahrenheit, as opposed to the Centigrade on your cooker... ;)

Jae said...

I wish that were the case!!! Thats what i would have loved to think, but its pretty clear that it isn't nearly as hot as 350 fahrenheit!

Why would any one make an oven that max's out at 290 degrees? Better yet.. why would any body buy one?? :S

Jennifer C. Valerie said...

Girl! You're a riot! That's too funny! LOL!

DelroyNesta said...

just what i needed, a good laff at the end of a rough day, thanks again and i hope u do get that perfect recipe and when u do, I WANT TO TASTE SOME OF THE COOKIES, cuz u always talking about your baking skills but how do i know it's true?

Jae said...

LOL... Nesta?.. Skills? Clearly... from the fiasco discribed above... I surely lack any! LOL... but i will. Next time i pass you by in town, I promise to say hi! :P

Maureen said...

Hi Jae...

I have been away from my computer for a while, taking a little break from blogging.

What have I been missing...Girl you crack me up bigtime...LOL!!!

Excellent blog posts as always...

living the good life said...

mmmmm.. chocolate chip cookies..... where did you get the brown sugar? I had to make my own
Did you get a new oven yet? Sounds like you need one. lol

Anonymous said...

my oven wouldn't let me preheat above 290 degrees, and it did happen to be the case that it was in celsius. It was a GE oven and i found how to change it back on their website

Anonymous said...

I am doing research for my college paper, thanks for your excellent points, now I am acting on a sudden impulse.

- Laura