CONTROL RECIPE - Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

CONTROL RECIPE - Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

YIELD: About 22 cookies

ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces or 142 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beating well to combine. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and place onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Baking Powder:

Removed baking soda from recipe and used 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. This produced results that were more cakey and puffed while baking.

Baking Powder AND Baking Soda:

Used 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. This produced results that were crisp at the edges, soft in the middle, with a good amount of spread. The combination of the two leaveners produced the best results in my opinion.

MORE Flour:

Increased the flour to 2 cups (250 grams) which created a more crumbly dough and very little spread. The cookies were small yet thick and relatively undercooked (ooey and gooey) in the middle.

MELTED Butter:

I replaced the room temperature butter with melted and cooled butter. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, I simply stirred the butter and sugars together then let sit for 5 minutes, until the sugar was better absorbed by the butter. This produced flatter cookies that had a shiny, crackled top reminiscent of brownies. They were also more crisp at the edges.

All Granulated Sugar:

I used 3/4 cup granulated sugar in this recipe which produced flat, white, chewy, and slightly crunchy cookies but with little flavor. Since baking soda (called for in the control recipe) requires an acid (such as brown sugar) to react, these cookies fell very flat as you can see by the way the chocolate chips protrude.

All Brown Sugar:

I used 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar in this recipe which produced thick, brown, and soft cookies with an intense butterscotch flavor. The original control recipe uses an even ratio of granulated and brown sugars. If you prefer your cookies to be flatter, chewier, or crisper, use more granulated sugar. If you prefer your cookies to be softer and thicker and have a pronounced butterscotch flavor, use more brown sugar.

24 hour CHILLED Dough:

I used the control recipe but chilled it in the fridge for about 24 hours before shaping and baking. This produced cookies that were slightly thicker, chewier, darker, and with a better depth of butterscotch flavor. If you have time, try chilling your next cookie dough for at least 24 hours, or up to 48 hours.

Final Comparison:

What questions do you have about chocolate chip cookies? Do you prefer soft or crisp, chewy or cakey, thin or thick cookies?

Rosie's 30 minute One Pot Italian Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 pounds
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper thinly sliced (optional)
• some  Black Olives (optional)
• dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• some fresh or dried basil
•  add some grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese(optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large (5-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. STEP 2

   Add mushrooms, peppers,  cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano, other spices and optional cheese…. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. STEP 3

   Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan;  add optional olives... cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, spindle  and serve.

Rose Victoria's One Pot Pasta

• 12 ounces linguine
• 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups) (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (can use 1/4 tsp. if you prefer)
• 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Freshly grated Parmesan or Percorino  Romano cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
   
   

2. STEP 2

   Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.

Bacon Wrapped Cod w/Frisee Salad

• 1 skinless, boneless cod fillet (1 1/4 pounds and 1 1/2 inches thick)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 12 strips bacon (about 12 ounces total)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 pink grapefruit, peel cut off, flesh cut into segments, juice squeezed from membranes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large head frisee, cut into 1-inch pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Cut fish into 4 pieces and season with salt and pepper. On a work surface, arrange 3 slices bacon so they overlap slightly. Place a piece of fish at one short end and tightly wrap with bacon, cutting off any excess bacon. Repeat with remaining fish and bacon.

2. STEP 2

   Whisk together mustard, honey, vinegar, and cup grapefruit juice; season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.

3. STEP 3

   Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high. Place fish, seam side down, in pan and cook until bacon is deep golden brown on all sides, about 9 minutes, turning occasionally. Toss frisee with dressing and grapefruit and serve with fish.

Apple, Grape, Celery and Pecan Salad

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal, plus leaves for garnish
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

2. STEP 2

   In a large bowl, combine celery, apple, grapes, vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Garnish with celery leaves

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 cups cold milk
2. 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
3. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped peanut butter cups, divided
4. 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
5. 1 chocolate crumb crust (8 or 9 inches)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Remove from the freezer 15-20 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining peanut butter cups. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Key Lime Pound Cake

Key Lime Pound Cake

Use Green Food coloring for St. Patty's Day!!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup key lime juice
• 5 large eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• green food coloring (optional)
for the glaze
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons key lime juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in lowest position. Grease and flour a bundt pan or 2 loaf pans.
2. In small bowl, combine buttermilk and lime juice, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well to fully combine. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and powder in separate bowl, stir to combine. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures to butter mixture, alternating, starting and ending with flour. Do not overmix. Add in food coloring, stir just to combine. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 50-60 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness.
4. Remove from oven and let rest in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare glaze by combining powdered sugar and lime juice to a thick pouring consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let cake set for 30 minutes before serving.