In Search of the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I've long been a fan of Cook's Illustrated and the companion PBS television show, America's Test Kitchen. I've even been able to test recipes for them and many are among our favorites. Recently I read about the America's Test Kitchen challenge to Boston Bloggers to try their Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

Now, I've got to say that my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe is pretty darned perfect. So could the experts at America's Test Kitchen produce a cookie that was BETTER than hers? I was skeptical but willing to try it. The ingredients are the same as my favorite recipe. It's the proportions that are different: 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk and more dark brown sugar than white sugar. 

I followed the recipe suggestion to weigh the dry goods. This isn't something I normally do. I have vivid memories of my Nannie's hand on mine as we lightly spooned flour into a measuring cup and then leveled the surface with the back of butter knife. I always think of that when I bake. She said it was the key to light instead of leaden cakes. She was an amazing baker as is my mom. Me? I'm good at following a recipe.

This time I pulled out the digital scale that Joel bought long before we were married and weighed the flour, white sugar and dark brown sugars.

The magic is in the 10 tablespoons of browned butter, which makes the kitchen smell amazing. 

The sugars, vanilla, salt and eggs are whisked into the melted butter. Three rounds of whisking and resting helps the sugar dissolve completely. (I used those 3 minutes to fold laundry while watching the Celtics game.)

Speaking of brown sugar, have you tried a brown sugar bear? This little guy keeps brown sugar moist and pliable for months and months. No more rock hard brown sugar.

Then the flour and baking soda are stirred in followed by the chocolate chips. I didn't have any nuts in the pantry and I wish I did. I love walnuts in my chocolate chip cookies. 


The finished dough has a consistency like Play Doh. It's not shaggy and loose like a typical chocolate chip cookie dough. The recipe called for a #24 scoop. I wanted more "traditional" sized cookies so I used a cookie scoop which made 48 cookies. 

The verdict: completely delicious! They definitely were crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. The browned butter adds a wonderful and unexpected toffee flavor to the cookies. Joel and I each ate one last night while they were still warm. Perfect with a glass of cold milk. This morning we packed some to enjoy with our lunch at the Brimfield Fair where my mom gave them a thumbs up too. 

I'll definitely keep this recipe in my files. It was easy to follow, easy to execute and easy to clean up. Thanks Cook's Illustrated for another winning recipe.

Bachelorette Party

My cousins threw a bachelorette party for their sister who is getting married in September. I helped out with the party decor. I took my inspiration from the bride's favorite color: raspberry. The party was at a beachfront cottage so I kept the decorations colorful, fresh and festive. 


I created a custom canvas to set the party mood. I used my Silhouette SD to cut the letters out of vinyl and apply them to a canvas I painted with a custom blend of colors to get the right shade of shimmery, rich pinky-purple. I love how this turned out!

The party favors were Hershey nuggets embellished with Papertrey Ink Limitless Labels, bundled up in sets of four in little treat bags and tied with a raspberry satin ribbon.

My favorite party item? These hot pink insulated tumblers personalized with vinyl and pink bling. The bride's tumbler was clear with rhinestone bling.  Perfect for keeping track of your cocktail throughout the night. The font is Sweetheart Script.  

No party is complete without cocktails. We had Sweetheart sangria and a non-alcoholic option of Passion Tea Lemonade.

Lemon Blackberry cupcakes were served for dessert. The custom cupcake toppers continued the raspberry color scheme even further. 

A party banner behind the bar completed the decorations. 

I'll leave you with some photos from the party. A great reason to get together and celebrate in the summer.

Supplies Used:

stamps: Papertrey Ink Limitless Labels, Round and Round

cardstock: Bazzill Basics

patterned paper: Bo Bunny Sophie Collection

dies: Nestabilities

punch: Stampin' Up

ribbon: Wrights

die cutter: Silhouette SD

acrylic paint: Plaid

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

We had a few bananas that were a little past prime. I'm not a fan of mushy bananas in my cereal so I took it as the perfect opportunity to try a recipe that I saw on the King Arthur blog. 

The damp weather hasn't helped the muffins keep the crunch tops. But a few minutes in a 350 oven crisps them up and makes the chocolate chips all melty and gooey. Delicious with a cup of coffee. I hope to someday take a baking class or two at King Arthur in Vermont. My friend MaryAnn learned how to make AMAZING croissants at King Arthur that are simply to die for. Maybe I should add that to my list of 100 Things to Do Before I Die?

Here's the recipe with the tweaks I made from the original.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (adapted from King Arthur)
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed banana, about 2 medium bananas
1 extra large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar till smooth.
3. Beat in the banana, then the egg and milk.
4. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flours, stirring till smooth; don't over beat.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Fill prepared muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar. (Neat trick from King Arthur: let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking which yields a nice round muffin top.)
7. Bake the muffins for 20 to 23 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, when a toothpick comes out clean from the center
8. Cool muffins on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.