Best *cinnamon* Chocolate Chip Cookies
October 19, 2014
The last several days have been a tousled mix of rough sand and jaunty stardust. My *attempt* at conjuring a verily belated birthday crêpe cake was an epic disaster (incriminating evidence is still stuck to the disenchanted stove) and, after what should have been a 10 minute excursion, I was overwhelmingly reminded why I avoid big supermarket chains in favour of my cosy local market. Also, Cookie Monster unfollowed me on Twitter. On the upside, I defied a beguiling fear of working with yeast; via challah bread + handsome buttery brioche cinnamon rolls (aka, Tom Hiddleston sticky buns), and I discovered a cosmic, new-to-me, coffee that's dark & smouldering without a bitter curtain call. Also, these cookies!!
The cookies are from Izy Hossack's cookbook, Top with Cinnamon. I'm fairly certain most of you are already familiar with Izy and her amazing talent(s). If not, please hop over to her Top with Cinnamon food blog (it will leave you feeling hungry and dazzled). It's easy to see why she won this year's Saveur Editor's Choice for Best Food Blog in Baking & Desserts. Food blogging can be an arduous gig. We need to be bakers (cooks), photographers, food stylists, writers, and social media pros. Izy does everything beautifully + she makes it look easy. I cannot believe she is only 18!! (When I was 18, the kitchen was merely an obstacle between the back door and my angsty-locked bedroom.)
After the crêpe cake fail and super-chain super-market melt down, I craved something comfortable, uncluttered and deliriously scrumptious; hello, chocolate chip cookies! This was actually the first recipe I landed upon when I opened Izy's book...mayhaps kismet was at work. Aside from adding a flurry of ground cinnamon instead of basil, I did not detour from Izy's book. The cookies are Perfect in every way; chewy, rich, hearty and wickedly additive. Given the elephantine amount of chocolate chip cookie recipes I have made, they are, undoubtedly, my favorite cookie incarnation. This recipe is one of The best. Ever. Who knows, maybe Cookie Monster will follow me once again.
Thank you for allowing me to share the cookie love, Izy! xo
best *cinnamon* chocolate chip cookies
makes 16 large cookies
reprinted with permission from Top with Cinnamon, by Izy Hossack
ingredients
140g (5 oz/ 10 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
125g (4 1/2 oz/ 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
85g (3oz/ 3/4 cup) wholemeal (whole wheat) flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (optional)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
110g (3 3/4oz/ 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
140g (5oz/ 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp.) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. flaky salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 egg
200g (7oz/ 1 1/4 cup) dark (bittersweet) chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
method
Heat butter in a medium-size saucepan over med-low heat until the butter foams up and smells nutty, then stir in vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, either use a stand mixer or a large bowl and a wooden spoon to combine the flours, cinnamon (if using), baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and salt. Pour in the butter and mix until it looks like moist clumpy sand with no floury patches.
Add the egg and mix in for a few seconds, then stir through the chopped chocolate until well distributed.
Using 1/4 cup (60ml/ 4 Tbsp) cookie scoop or measuring cup, scoop up some of the dough and squash in into the scoop until it's just full.
Turn out onto a baking parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the dough. {note; if you don't have a cookie scoop or measuring cup, then divide the dough into 16 equal balls.}
Cover with cling film and refrigerate for between 1 hour and 7 days (the longer you wait, the better the texture and flavour!)
To bake: preheat oven to 200 C (400 F/ Gas 6). Making sure the cookies are spaced 7.5 cm (3-inches) apart, sprinkle them with salt. Bake 8-12 minutes until browned with puffy, soft centers. Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Cookies will keep in an airetight container for up to three days. (I doubt they will last that long!!)
I don't know Izy's blog, and I'd love to check it out. Thanks for the link. These cookies are gorgeous, and if you call them the best, you know I'll be trying them soon! (The cinnamon sounds fabulous.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I did not know the cookie monster tweeted. I'm assuming Ernie and Bert share a cooking blog, and Oscar the Grouch is that anonymous commenter who shows up everywhere.
Between the flurry of cinnamon and luscious chunks of chocolate, I'm utterly smitten with these beauties! xo
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how wonderful your house smelled while these delightful little gems of goodness were baking! Simply divine!!
ReplyDeleteI had sworn off baking for month in an effort to fit into more wardrobe items than my yoga pants. However, these may well be my undoing. And who needs to wear anything other than yoga pants anyway?
ReplyDeleteWow, those look perfect, and the cinnamon sounds scrumptious. I'm excited to hear about that coffeecake, and whether Cookie Monster re-follows you. :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous cookies and lovely presentation!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I just bought a new kind of cinnamon from Penzey's and was thinking I needed something special to try it in. This looks like the perfect recipe, and everything I've made from your blog has been a winner thus far. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThese look wonderful! I love the huge chunks of chocolate, and your pictures are absolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteGood, easy recipe. Not sure what the reasoning is behind dry ingredients then butter then eggs. I like the warmth of flavors, almost molasses like. I love cinnamon, but I'm not sure I like the aftertaste this recipe leaves. Maybe it's the low quality of cinnamon I used. I'm still thinking about it. I would make it again in the fall/winter. Thanks for the introduction to Top with Cinnamon. I'd never heard of this blog before. I'm intrigued by her basil infused chocolate chip cookie. Your pictures and writing are beautiful, as always. -Amber
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely photo + writing compliment, Amber! xo
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you enjoyed the cookies. As far as the aftertaste, I think you're right, it could be the cinnamon. Until a few weeks ago I had been using a very old bottle of ground cinnamon and it did little to enhance the flavour of recipes (plus I noticed an awkward taste after swallowing). Now I'm using a luscious Vietnamese cinnamon from King Arthur Flour - it makes a universe of difference. Any cinnamon brand will be an improvement over an aged bottle, as cinnamon loses some of its punch and turns bitter after a few months. :-)
These look incredible, Valerie! Those melted chunks are to-die-for. And I love your styling here -- so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThese cookies look so good and chewy! I love the big chunks of chocolate in each cookie :) Enjoy a restful Sunday Valerie!
ReplyDeletewww.lovecompassionatelee.com/
It's been too long since I've made cookies...
ReplyDeleteValentina
Valentina Duracinsky Blog
I've been craving all things cinnamon so these cookies would hit the spot quite nicely. Love!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, cookies and styling. I realize right now I never actually made cinnamon + chocolate cookies... ?!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I've used this recipe to make these delicious cookies--both times I've used white chocolate. A huge hit and they don't last long! Thanks, Nicole
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you like the recipe, Nicole! Next time I'll try your white chocolate version. :-)
DeleteI subbed refined coconut oil for the brown butter because I can't eat dairy. So delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know! I'm slowly easing my way into the world of coconut oil (still not quite sure how to bake with it, though!). :)
DeleteSounds amazing. Can the whole wheat flour be substituted out for more all-purpose flour?
ReplyDeleteI'm not too familiar (yet) with wheat flour so I can't say if it will impact the texture, especially since you need an entire cup. It wouldn't hurt to try, though! Maybe the cookies will be on the heavier side...
DeleteIf you decide to give it a go, please let me know how things turn out. :-)