Cookies & Kitchen Sabotage
10 Oct
Let me start off by saying that some of my very best baking work is the baking work that just doesn’t end up on the blog. Most likely, I think it’s because they’re the recipes I make all of the time, over and over as favorites and stand-bys; they rarely let me down. And yet, they never seem quite impressive or novel enough to feature. Upon typing that, I realize it’s just not fair. At all. Afterall, recipes like basic, delicious, chocolate chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser, and clearly deserve their 15 minutes!
Now, remember that time I said these recipes rarely let me down? Well, they don’t. But sometimes other kitchen nightmares get me a little disenchanted. It’s really not the recipe’s fault at all.
This particular cookie story begins with the best of intentions, is wrought with untimely tragedy, and wraps up with a happy ending. Sort of.
If you’ve never broiled a cookie, I envy you. I wish I could say the same. Trust me, it’s not only NOT the way to go, it’s also not the type of situation you walk into the kitchen and expect to get yourself into. Or to have someone else get you into, as the case may be. That’s precisely where the kitchen sabotage portion of this story comes in to play. Once again, I won’t name names (but it was my brother). I wouldn’t want to throw anyone under the bus (but it was my brother). I’m not that kind of person to just hold a grudge (but it was my brother). So anyway, whatever happened, my brother happened to be BROILING peppers pre-cookie baking, so I bounded into the kitchen (GOOD INTENTIONS), expecting a smooth-sailing kind of cookie baking experience, only to pull the first pan of cookies out of the oven and find not the type of golden brown color you might want in a cookie. Obviously I had adjusted the temperature, but had no idea there had been broiling going on, and that it was apparently still going on. (TRAGEDY!)
Needless to say, it took quite a few pans of cookies for the oven to reach optimal cookie baking temperature, even after settings were adjusted. I don’t want to harp on it or anything (but it was my brother), so I guess I’m just going to maturely let it go.
The cookies you see here are the very. last. pan of cookies. Not even a full pan. Oh well, at least I got them, right?! (HAPPY ENDING…sort of?)
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
I know this cookie recipe by heart. I make it often, you could say. It’s simple, and perfect for changing up the add-ins, depending on what you’re in the mood for.
Ingredients:
* 1 cup butter flavored shortening
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
* 1 cup roughly chopped pecans (or any other nut you like, really)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
Cream together the shortening and sugars in a mixer, or by hand. Add the 2 eggs, mixing between additions. Add the vanilla and mix.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Slowly add the flour mixture in intervals until well-incorporated. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans by hand. Use a cookie scoop (the metal ice cream scooper looking things) to place 8 cookie blobs on your pan at a time (depending on the size of your cookie sheet).
Bake about 11 minutes. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack….or just eating. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of angry emails from burnt-mouth readers who didn’t follow that step! 🙂
I’m not going to name names, yet again, but these cookies have been called the single greatest chocolate chip cookie ever (by my brother). You should probably bake them (but not broil them!) (HAPPY ENDING!)
