the rose interior
Where is there an outside
for this inside? On what pain
is linen like this placed?
What skies find themselves reflected
in the inland lake
of these open roses,
these blissfully unworried ones:
see how neglectfully in all this looseness
they relax, as if no trembling hand
could ever spill them.
They scarcely can contain
themselves; many let themselves
fill up with inner space
until they overflow and stream
into the days, which keep on
closing more and more completely,
until all of summer becomes
a room, a room within a dream.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, in New Poems, translated by E. Snow
June is my third favourite month. It's a fragrant, mercurial portal between two seasons. Of course, chocolate chip cookies must partake in this cusp between light blanket evenings & warm, earthy afternoons.
Why do I bake so many chocolate chip cookies? Maybe it's the one thing that I know everyone will enjoy. When I ask my friends what they want me to make, their response is usually something like "I don't know. Do something easy." To my food blogger's ear, that translates as "anything that we won't have to sit around and wait for you to pose for pictures before we can touch and/or look at." Making chocolate chip cookies frequently also allows me to try all the different recipes that are floating around the Internet. I had actually planned on making this a long time ago but it was nudged aside by the new generation of c.c.cookies like Jacques Torres & Cook's Illustrated. These cookies were a welcome return to the simple, classic, humble chocolate chip cookie. No frills or fads, just a blithe, chewy cookie that begs to be eaten straight out of the oven.
Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies
(adapted from Neiman Marcus)
Ingredients
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•1 cup light brown sugar
•3 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1 large egg
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract instead)
•1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
•1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. I did refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes (force of habit.)
4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges (mine were perfect after only 15 min.) Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies ( Since I made mine larger, I was only able to make about 18.)
(adapted from Neiman Marcus)
Ingredients
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•1 cup light brown sugar
•3 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1 large egg
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract instead)
•1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
•1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. I did refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes (force of habit.)
4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges (mine were perfect after only 15 min.) Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies ( Since I made mine larger, I was only able to make about 18.)
WOW! Okay, umm, these look amazing. I''m just waiting for a cake to cool before I hop into bed but THESE are next on my to bake list! Great blog!
ReplyDeletexxMK
Delightful Bitefuls
I think I should put on my comfy jeans this weekend and whip up a batch of these babies!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually one recipe I haven't tried yet. You really don't have to wait 48 hrs, but it makes every cookie taste better.
ReplyDeleteThese are my favorite cookies! They never fail!!!! I sometimes omit the regular sugar when I use white chocolate!
ReplyDeleteHey Valerie, you do make a lot of chocolate chip cookies! And your skin looks good in all your photos despite this-that's the French in you (smile). These look really good!.
ReplyDeleteStella
I baked these a while ago... and did not fall in love with them at that time. BUT I went to Neiman Marcus a bought one - total different story. The size is enourmous but the taste was perfection.
ReplyDeleteOooeee, I'm so making chocolate chip cookies this weekend!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are one of my favorite CCC cookies. Yours look perfect.
ReplyDeleteMimi
Chocolate chip cookies are everyone's fave. And there are so many varieties and types, you could never run out of recipes. They're all good.
ReplyDeleteNow these look TOO yummy! I sent you a private message about installing a subscribe by e-mail plug in. I have enjoyed your site now and then, and would really like to get all of your new posts in my mail box. I think we have a lot in common baking wise.
ReplyDelete:)
Valeri
Valerie, you have so many recipes for chocolate chip cookies, I just wanted to know what was the best one. Im one a search for an awesome chocolate chip recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi, Julia!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a tough question. It depends on what you're in the mood for at the time. Personally, my favourite recipes are Thomas Keller's, Cook's Illustrated, and the Colossal Chocolate Chip recipe.
I like Thomas Keller's recipe because he doesn't use vanilla. You really get a taste of the cookie itself and the texture is almost perfect.
Cook's Illustrated incorporates brown butter (something I could live on.) The cookies have a soft, toasty, nutty aftertaste.
I love the colossal chocolate chip cookies because they're so massive that it's almost ridiculous. :~) They're thick, chewy and they just remind me of something that should be wrapped in crinkly paper and served warm from a bakeries display case.
I hope this helps! Thanks for visiting. :~D