Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [83]
2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour a large baking sheet; set aside. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until uniformly colored; set aside as well.
2. Place the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over about 1 inch of simmering water, or in a medium bowl that fits very tightly over a medium saucepan with about the same amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, then remove the double boiler’s top half or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Transfer to a clean, dry bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar; continue beating until fluffy, if still a little grainy, about 1 more minute. Beat in the whole eggs one at a time, making sure the first is thoroughly incorporated before adding the second. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla until smooth. Turn off the beaters, add the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until a thick, dry dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then rap the pan against the oven rack or the oven door, giving it two or three good smacks. (Make sure you use hot pads or wear oven mitts!) Reverse the baking sheet front to back, then continue baking for about 6 more minutes, or until the cookies are bumpy yet springy, with some spreading at the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before buttering and flouring it again and baking further batches.
Recommended storage
3 days at room temperature
3 months in the freezer
More Choices!
Quadruple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 1 cup; add 1 cup white chocolate chips with the remaining semisweet chips.
Quadruple Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 1 cup; add 1 cup mint chocolate chips with the remaining semisweet chips.
Triple Chocolate Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 1 cup; add 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut with the remaining semisweet chips.
Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 1 cup; add 1 cup peanut butter chips with the remaining semisweet chips.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Our problem with most of the vegan chocolate chips cookies you buy in grocery stores and gourmet markets? They’re too soft and cakey, not at all like the classic cookies. So here’s our answer: tahini, oats, and maple syrup, all of which produces a crunchy vegan cookie that’s so good you’ll never miss the dairy and eggs.
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cool margarine, cut into small pieces, plus additional for the baking sheet
1/2 cup tahini (see Note)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
11/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until uniform; set aside. Grease a large baking sheet with a dab of margarine on a crumpled piece of wax paper or the wrapper from the margarine itself; set aside as well.
2. Beat the margarine and tahini in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and fairly creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup and vanilla; beat just until incorporated. Remove the beaters.
3. Stir in the flour mixture, using a wooden