comfortnclarity

Cookies and Milk and Memories

A simple yet complex pastry that can bring joy to anyone, any day, anytime. The most famous dessert worldwide: a chocolate chip cookie.

In my household, the term “comfort” is often synonymous with cookies. Specifically, after long days the idea of solace to me is watching Gossip Girl with a chocolate chip cookie in hand. The idea of such a simple recipe with only a few ingredients combined can bring something so savoury and mouth watering. 

This dessert is the first thing I ever learned to bake. The first time I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies was when I was six. These cookies weren’t completely homemade as it was merely box mix with some water; however, the idea of getting an oven involved meets my requirements of baking. After eagerly waiting what seemed the longest 20 minutes of my life for the hard laboured cookies to bake and cool, I devoured two in the span of seconds. 

The three harmonious elements to a chocolate chip cookie were met: the crunch on the outer border, the gooey-soft area in the center, and most importantly each bite including a nice large chocolate chunk. From that moment on, I fell in love with not only chocolate chip cookies but baking. 

A hobby that brought together my mom and I was baking. We would occasionally make cookies and muffins; however, when COVID hit in 2020 we took this hobby to another level. With boredom looming over us everyday, my mom decided to purchase a whole new set of baking equipment. Our arsenal was completely upgraded allowing us to tackle any dessert we desired. 

With that being said, we made cookies constantly. We used this one recipe we found online and stuck with it for about a year. Still, I didn’t feel satisfied. It didn’t taste merely as delectable compared to some bakery cookies. Maybe I was just a picky kid, or maybe I wanted pure perfection. This led to the hunt of attempting lots of new recipes to find the perfect one, yet it never quite reached the expectation I held for a perfect cookie.

My search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe made me wonder: where did this classic treat come from? 

The origin of this dessert began in the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts by an American chef, Ruth Graves Wakefield. In 1938, Ruth accidentally developed chocolate chip cookies as she placed chocolate chunks on the cookie expecting them to melt into an actual chocolate cookie. She previously served thin butterscotch nut cookies with ice cream, which was a major hit. In spite of that, she wanted to try something different. She chopped up bits from a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar and turned it into a cookie. From that moment on, history was made.

With that being said, here is a personal message to Ruth:

Dear Ms. Wakefield,

You may not know, but you have created the happiest accident possible in all of history. I am so grateful for your mistake as it has created flavour and nostalgia beyond words. The feeling of home is through what you created 87 years ago. No words can truly express my gratitude.

Sincerely,

Melody

Now, back to the hunt for pure perfection. I have tried recipe after recipe. Technique after technique. And finally, success. The perfect recipe has been formed. This recipe comes with a combination of multiple other ones while tweaking measurements and adding my own personal flare. This is my favourite recipe for creating chocolate chip cookies.

Melody’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Makes 14 cookies

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of unsalted butter (114g)
  • ⅓ cup of white sugar (67g)
  • ⅔ cup of brown sugar (134g)
  • One egg
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ½ tsp of baking soda
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of all purpose flour (120g)
  • ⅓ cup of bread flour (43g)
  • 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
  • Optional: sea salt
  1. Bring the egg to room temperature.

Take out one large egg and let it sit until required.

  1. Brown the butter.

Place ½ cup (114g) of unsalted butter in a pot and stir over medium heat. When the butter has become a dark golden brown with a rich, sweet smell to it, pour it into a heat safe cup.

  1. Enhance the butter.

Add a dash of vanilla (approx 1 tsp) and a pinch of salt (approx. ½ tsp) to the brown butter. Does not need to be exact measurements, I typically eyeball it. Place the butter mixture in the fridge.

  1. Mix sugars and egg.

In a large bowl. combine ⅓  cup of white sugar and ⅔ cup of brown sugar. Add the egg you previously took out and mix until well combined.

  1. Add browned butter.

Take the butter mixture out of the fridge and combine into the large bowl. The butter should still be a bit hot to the touch. Mix thoroughly.

  1. Add leavening and flavour.

Add ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Pour the vanilla extract over the baking soda to activate it. Mix.

  1. Sift and add flours.

Sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ⅓ cup of bread flour. Gently incorporate the flour into the mixture.

  1. Add chocolate chips.

Once the dough is about halfway mixed, fold in 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

  1. Prep your pan.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

  1. Form cookies.

Use an ice cream scooper to create equal-sized dough balls. Options: Add some extra chocolate chips to top off each cookie.

  1. Chill dough.

Chill the cookie dough balls in the fridge for 20 minutes.

  1. Bake.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.

  1. Cool and enjoy!

Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring.

xx,

Melody