Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, warmed to room temperature
2 c. (12 oz. package) good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. finely chopped pecans
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 375º. Combine flour, baking soda, salt. Both bother using a sifter -- it is way too messy and much easier to just use a whisk. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. I use an electric hand mixer, as this seems to work best for mixing cookies. This will take at least 2 minutes -- better to over-beat than to under-beat! This step adds a lot to the overall texture of the finished cookies. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure they are at or near room temperature. If you forgot to take them out of the refrigerator to warm them in advance, just put them in some warm water for a few minutes. If you use them cold, they will curdle. This won't affect the taste of the cookies, but will affect the texture. It is definitely worth the effort! Beat in the flour mixture, but just until mixed (or just before). If you work the flour in too much, it will definitely make tougher cookies. This is where an electric hand mixer really helps -- I mix in the flour until almost blended, then add the nuts. Finally add the chips. Mix these last three ingredients as little as possible - do it by hand to avoid over-mixing. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. If you refrigerate overnight you'll have to take the dough out for a half-hour before it is soft enough to scoop out. Use heavy shiny cookie sheets, making six large double-size cookies per tray. Only put one tray in the oven at a time, as this allows for the best airflow in the oven. They usually take 11-12 minutes. Take out when the outer 1/3 of the cookies are beginning to brown, but the center appears to be under cooked. Take out the cookies, and let rest on the cookie sheets a minute or two. As long as they are hot and on the sheets, they will continue to cook, so it is better to take them out just a bit underdone -- that way you will get nice soft cookies. Don't leave on the cookie sheets more than a minute, as they'll cook too long and end up crispy. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: This includes my tested techniques for really yummy cookies, but it is based on the traditional Toll House recipe. I've tested the recipe with plegra, the butter used by pastry chefs that has extra fat, but it doesn't seem to make much difference in the cookies. You do have to use real butter though, and it should be very fresh. I've also tried imported chocolate chips (Lindt), this this also didn't seem to make a difference either! I buy the big packages of pecan halves from Costco, and chop them finely with my food processor. I prefer smaller nut pieces because it gently flavors the dough, and I don't like big nut pieces in my cookies.
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This recipe for Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies is from