on more kitchen discoveries and chocolate chip cookies.

After [almost] perfecting the art of making cupcakes, I wanted to perfect the art of making chocolate crinkles since I failed the last time I tried.

But wait, before I get to that, let me share some of the tricks I've discovered. All because of wanting to bake perfectly, if there's such a thing.

I don't have a mixer... yet. But I will get one when I'm already a little more adept in baking. And because a lot of recipes need to have butter and sugar creamed, I consulted Mr. Google on how to cream without a mixer. The result? Click here. I tried this technique earlier, and what can I say, I was able to come up with creamed butter and sugar. It's not as perfect as the "mechanical" one, but it's better than just melting the butter and adding the sugar.

Next is practicing the art of beating using a wooden spatula. It's hard, but hell, it's worth it. Plus, it's an instant arm exercise! Haha.

My new found best friend is the ice cream scoop - makes life easier when baking cookies, cupcakes, etc.

And lastly, since I'm using a convection oven, aside from adjusting the temperature, I learned that it's very important to cover baking pans with aluminum foil to prevent getting a burnt cookie/cupcake/brownie/cake top -- since heat comes directly from above. The cooking time may take longer, but it's definitely better than tasting bitter burns.

On to my next kitchen experiment - chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to try my "foil discovery" with baking cookies. It worked when I baked the second batch of cupcakes and butterscotch brownies, but I didn't know if it will be the same with cookies. So, let's see.

I originally wanted to give chocolate crinkles a second try, but when I checked the recipes I noticed that the ingredients for the crinkles and cookies are kind of similar. So I decided to make chocolate chip cookies instead.

I got the recipe from Rachael Ray's A Cookie a Day.  Easier than making chocolate crinkles! :)

Here's the recipe:

2c all purpose flour
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1c butter, softened
1c brown sugar (the original recipe called for 1c brown and 1/2c white, I didn't have white and I don't like it to be too sweet)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2c chocolate chips (I also added 1/4c cocoa powder)


Pre-heat the oven to 375°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (The original recipe suggests two cookie sheets, I didn't have one so I used the normal baking pan. And I didn't bake the whole batter, I just tried a few. Hehe.)


Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, sugars and vanilla in mixing bowl until creamy and light in color. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture and stir in the chocolate chips.


Drop by rounded tablespoons (12 per pan, evenly spaced) and bake for 12 minutes, switching and turning the pans around halfway through the cooking time. DO NOT OVERBAKE – the cookies continue to cook after they come out of the oven. Cool on the sheets for 1-2 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Store tightly sealed with a slice of bread to keep them soft.

I also topped the cookies with more chocolate chips and dusted them with sifted confectioner's sugar before popping them in the oven.

success!

There you have it, very easy but definitely delicious and chewy chocolate chip cookies.