Many of you may know that I have been trying my hand and more and more desserts so that I am more adept at baking in general. That meant I had to get in there make an American classic: chocolate chip cookies. The last time I made chocolate chip cookies I must have been a teenager... though I don't actually remember the last time. This is a sad revelation, I know.
Lucky for me, my friend Jenn was over that day so that I wouldn't have to try and tackle these cookies myself. She is a bonafide cookie veteran. She and her father bake dozens upon dozens cookies for the holidays, and she is no stranger to chocolate chip cookies.
Let me say that these cookies were pretty straight forward. We used the classic Tollhouse recipe, which called for a TON of butter and a lot sugar to boot... but if you are going to have a cookie, you shouldn't be worried about the caloric intake in my opinion. The hardest part of this recipe? Not eating all the dough before it cooked...
And this is a good minute to talk about raw eggs.
"They" say that you aren't supposed to eat raw eggs because of the risk of getting salmonella. Of course, this is probably wise, but I find myself unable to follow this rule, especially when it comes to baking. Savory cooks don't really have to use a lot of raw eggs, that is, but when it comes to baking, raw eggs are in the doughs. And this brings me to the point: I nearly always taste the dough.
It's not always because of the tastiness of the dough itself, as it was in this particular case of the cookies, but mostly I want to get a feel of how the pastry might turn out. I find that tasting the dough is a generally good measure for the ultimate taste of the dessert...sure, it might not rise, or something else could go horribly wrong in the baking process... but taste is important.
So what do I personally say about raw eggs? Well, in our food supply which is often subject to ridicule, and sometimes recalls, you can never be too careful. Buy higher quality eggs, if you can afford to. I cannot always afford to, but what can I say? I'm living on the edge and I'm willing to take the risk!
Now, here's the best thing I learned all day besides just how much I love cookies: how to freeze the dough for later use. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I swear, had it not been for Jenn, I would perhaps not have thought of it at all! She makes some, and then she rolls them in plastic and freezes some! This way, you can pop 'em out of the freezer and bake off fresh cookies whenever the urge arises. (Dangerous, I know, but lofty nonetheless.)
For the original Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, click here.
Lucky for me, my friend Jenn was over that day so that I wouldn't have to try and tackle these cookies myself. She is a bonafide cookie veteran. She and her father bake dozens upon dozens cookies for the holidays, and she is no stranger to chocolate chip cookies.
Let me say that these cookies were pretty straight forward. We used the classic Tollhouse recipe, which called for a TON of butter and a lot sugar to boot... but if you are going to have a cookie, you shouldn't be worried about the caloric intake in my opinion. The hardest part of this recipe? Not eating all the dough before it cooked...
And this is a good minute to talk about raw eggs.
"They" say that you aren't supposed to eat raw eggs because of the risk of getting salmonella. Of course, this is probably wise, but I find myself unable to follow this rule, especially when it comes to baking. Savory cooks don't really have to use a lot of raw eggs, that is, but when it comes to baking, raw eggs are in the doughs. And this brings me to the point: I nearly always taste the dough.
It's not always because of the tastiness of the dough itself, as it was in this particular case of the cookies, but mostly I want to get a feel of how the pastry might turn out. I find that tasting the dough is a generally good measure for the ultimate taste of the dessert...sure, it might not rise, or something else could go horribly wrong in the baking process... but taste is important.
So what do I personally say about raw eggs? Well, in our food supply which is often subject to ridicule, and sometimes recalls, you can never be too careful. Buy higher quality eggs, if you can afford to. I cannot always afford to, but what can I say? I'm living on the edge and I'm willing to take the risk!
Now, here's the best thing I learned all day besides just how much I love cookies: how to freeze the dough for later use. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I swear, had it not been for Jenn, I would perhaps not have thought of it at all! She makes some, and then she rolls them in plastic and freezes some! This way, you can pop 'em out of the freezer and bake off fresh cookies whenever the urge arises. (Dangerous, I know, but lofty nonetheless.)
For the original Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment