the little cookie that could

 

Some of my best discoveries are those I’ve overlooked time and again. The ones that have been under my nose the whole time, but were too busy, or stuck in a routine to take notice.

Last week I decided to try something new with my beloved, and perhaps now infamous, chocolate chip cookie recipe. Rather than dump all the dough in a container to let it “dry-age”, I formed half into a log, wrapped it in plastic and tucked it into the fridge. We’re not talking anything revolutionary here folks.

Then I sliced a few off the next morning, about 1/4-inch thick, and baked them.

15 minutes later the cookie I took from the oven was unlike my normal ones. The thick cookie with a chewy texture had been replaced with a thin crispy bite. It even had a more toffee-like taste.

Wondering if I goofed up when mixing the dough, I took a few scoops from the container and baked them.

15 minutes later, my familiar friend was glancing up from the baking tray.

I decided to slice, scoop and repeat again at 24 hours, and then at 36 hours. The results were consistent with the first bake.

One dough. Two different cookies. Now I just have to figure out if Santa is a chewy or crispy cookie sort of fella.

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my second best chocolate chip cookies

makes 48 cookies

This time around, I also decided to chop up the chocolate to canvas every bite of the cookie. When slicing the cookie logs, be sure to use a serrated edge knife for best results. You can also make these into four mini logs, and bake each tray for about 10 to 12 minutes. They make for especially cute cookie bags during the holidays, and also help stretch the dough.

4 cups flour (18 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, softened (8 ounces)

2 cups sugar (15 ounces)

2 tablespoons molasses

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate discs or chunks, chopped

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, sugar and molasses until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well mixed. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate. Divide the dough into two equal portions, and shape into logs. Wrap in plastic and refigerate for 36 hours. Yes, I realize this is the very hard part, and if you must, you can proceed with baking once the logs are firm enough to slice (about 4 hours).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Slice 1/4-inch thick rounds and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes on middle rack. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 2 more minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely if you have any will power left, or just have a glass of cold milk ready and waiting.


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