Chocolate Chip Delight
One thing we can all agree on…Chocolate chip cookies!
Celebrated author and Williamson County native, Katie Jacobs, released her new book The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Classic, Creative, and Must-Try Recipes for Every Kitchen on October 3rd. From cookie dough milkshakes to chocolate chip cheesecake to the classic recipe that started it all, The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book features more than 100 chocolate chip cookie and cookie-inspired recipes.
“If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s chocolate chip cookies,” said Katie. “No matter your background or beliefs, no matter what’s going on in the world, chocolate chip cookies are universally comforting. And the great thing about chocolate chip cookie dough is its versatility. The possibilities for pure joy are endless, and I hope these recipes bring as much joy to others’ families as they do mine.”
With helpful tips and tricks, an ingredient guide for adjusting batches to preference — cakey, thin, doughy or dense —and options for vegan, paleo or gluten-free bakers, The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book is the definitive guide to the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Available wherever books are sold or at thechocolatechipcookiebook.com. Here are a few sample recipes from the book you can try out this fall!
BROWN BUTTER MAPLE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
MAKES: 10 LARGE COOKIES
“When fall finally rolls in, I am one of those people who craves all things pumpkin. These chocolate chip cookies are giant pillows — incredibly soft and tender with hints of pumpkin spice. Don’t skip the sugar coating, which adds a little crunch and sweetness, or the chocolate baking wafers, which create puddles of chocolate throughout the soft cookie,” Katie says.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, browned and cooled
1 tablespoon water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg yolk, room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking disks, chopped
COATING
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. To brown butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, reduce heat to low, then simmer until foamy. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the foam subsides, the butter turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, and the milk solids separate into brown specks that sink to the bottom, about two to seven minutes. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl, scraping the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk the water into the warm butter and let cool to room temperature.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter.
5. Whisk in the egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and fold the batter with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the chocolate until just combined.
7. In a small bowl, combine the coating ingredients.
8. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat. The dough will be very soft.
9. Place 5 dough balls onto the baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Leave the rest of the dough out at room temperature.
10. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges of the cookies are crisp and the centers look puffy and slightly underdone.
11. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.
S’MORES CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SKILLET
MAKES: ONE 10-INCH COOKIE SKILLET
“Cast iron skillets can be passed down through generations if taken care of properly. I still have my grandmother’s and she always taught me to never wash it with soap, to make sure it’s perfectly dry before storing, and to rub a little oil into the bottom every couple of uses. I use my skillet to cook just about everything — and I love to bake in it. Baking this giant chocolate chip cookie in a skillet makes for crispy edges and bottom with an ultra-gooey center. It’s perfect served warm straight from the skillet, topped with vanilla ice cream, with spoons for everyone to dive in,” Katie says.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 squares graham crackers broken into bite-size pieces
About 20 mini marshmallows
3 Hershey’s chocolate bars broken into pieces
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Vanilla ice cream, optional
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter a 10-inch oven-safe skillet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, using a rubber spatula, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Spread 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared skillet. Arrange the graham crackers over the dough, then add the marshmallows and Hershey’s pieces. Add the remaining cookie dough, gently spreading the dough over the marshmallows and chocolate. It’s okay if not all the dough covers the marshmallows.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes for an extra doughy center or 22 to 25 minutes for a more set cookie. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
BROWN BUTTER BOURBON PECAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
MAKES: 24 TO 26 COOKIES
"An Old Fashioned is my drink of choice — warm spicy bourbon mixed with a little sugary sweetness. If my favorite cocktail married a chocolate chip cookie, this would be their love child. This is a soft, chewy cookie with bourbon and brown butter undertones, speckled with chocolate and crunchy, sugared pecans. Drinks (and cookies) are on me,” says Katie.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw pecan halves
2 tablespoons bourbon, divided
1 tablespoon, plus 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature, divided
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, combine the pecans, 1 tablespoon of the bourbon, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted. Let cool completely and roughly chop. Set aside.
2. While the pecans are roasting, brown the butter. To brown butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, reduce heat to low, then simmer until foamy. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the foam subsides, the butter turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, and the milk solids separate into brown specks that sink to the bottom, about two to seven minutes. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl, scraping the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let cool to room temperature.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, 3/4 cup of the brown sugar, and the sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of bourbon and the vanilla and beat until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans mixture (holding back a few of each to place on the tops of the cookie dough balls). The dough will be a little sticky.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Place 8 to 10 dough balls onto the baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Top the dough balls with the remaining chocolate and chopped pecans mixture.
5. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are crisp and the centers look puffy and slightly underdone. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with flaked sea salt while still hot.
6. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.
