I love cookies. Who doesn't though? They're a perfect size, easy to make, take on a variety of textures and flavors, and go with everything from ice cream to caramel, to milk, to fudge, to fruit, or just plain. I even have a sign in my kitchen that says "Life's Short....Eat Cookies". I live by that motto. I bake cookies almost every week or at least every other week and they are never the same. I've experimented with fruit, all kinds of chocolate, butterscotch, oats, cinnamon, peanut butter, toffee, no butter, only egg whites, more white sugar, more brown sugar, different oven temps, various sizes of cookies, bars, drops, roll outs, crispy, soft, underbaked, chewy, etc. etc. I don't have a ruling favorite, but I am partial to my "garbage cookies". I needed to clean out the baking cabinet and I was in the mood for chewy ooey gooey cookies. I had a small amount of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, oats, dried cherries, and cinnamon. Why not combine those into one delicious cookie? I did and they were fantastic. Every bite was different. Some bites had only chocolate, some had a combo of butterscotch and oats, while others had hints of cinnamon and cherries.
Today though, I felt like a chocolate cookie with hints of orange. Thank to Ina, one my absolute favorite flavor combinations is chocolate with orange. Sometimes I use just the orange zest, other times it's zest and juice, or maybe just a splash of orange flavored liqueur called Grand Marnier (excellent on it's own too). However, for today, I used a basic chocolate cookie dough base that used both melted semi sweet chocolate and cocoa powder. Then, I added the zest of 2 medium oranges along with a healthy dose of semi sweet chocolate chunks. The results were tasty- a hint of orange flavor without hitting you in the head and the chunks of chocolate (as opposed to chips) added just the right texture and were a little melty. I'll be making these again.
I've learned a few things about baking cookies over the years. First, use room temperature ingredients. I leave my butter and eggs out over night to ensure that they are room temp. They mix better and you are left with a better cookie. Second, cream your butter and sugar with an electric mixer (either stand up or hand held) for several minutes until it's light yellow. Third, add your eggs one at a time and make sure that they are incorporated. Fourth, sift your dry ingredients together. I don't use a whisk, but a sieve and this prevents lumps in your flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda (no one wants to bite into a chunk of flour when they eat a cookie). Fifth, don't overmix!!! When you combine your dry ingredients into your butter/sugar, only mix until they are combined. If you overmix, you'll end up with a tough cookie because you will develop the gluten in the flour- no one likes this I promise you. Finally, don't overbake. Cookies should look slightly underbaked when you pull them out of the oven because they will continue to cook. I hate hard and burnt cookies, so I pull them out before they are completely done. Let them rest on your baking sheet for a few minutes, place them on a cooling rack, then enjoy. Cookies are true happiness when baked correctly.
One book that I highly recommend is Martha Stewart's (who helped launch Ina's cookbook career may I add) "Cookies". It is pages and pages of yummy, simple yet elegant, and easy to make cookies. I haven't made it through the book, but all of the recipes that I've tried are awesome. My personal favorite is the "Milk Chocolate Cookies" on page 79. Trust me you won't be disappointed.
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