Revisited: Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'll never go so far as to tell anybody that such-and-such is the best recipe out there ever made.  Who am I to say that without having tried every single recipe?  So when I vlogged about the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookie in October 2010, I just told you it was a great cookie.  And it still is, and I still follow the blog of the writer of that particular recipe on my google reader.

However, the reason why I am revisiting the triple c's on this blog entry is to tell you about a recipe that is just as amazing.  And here's the kicker, it's EASIER to make.  In my vlog, I demonstrated how to make a chewy salted chocolate chip cookie with the use of a mixer (but I'm sure some of you smarties who recreated the recipe in your own home were able to do without).  In this blog post, I'm telling you that you can bake an equally successful cookie without all the little intricacies of having things at room temperature. Yes, we'll be MELTING the butter.  Yes, we can use COLD eggs.  The amateur culinary baker in me says yes this does go against all the baking laws out there.  Do we not need to have the butter softened and eggs at room temperature for maximum aeration and emulsion?  YES and YES, but the reason why I am "revisiting" is to tell you that this is the lazy man's chocolate chip cookie with the diligent, contentious, and meticulous woman's chocolate chip cookie appearance, flavor, and texture.  In other words, you can half-a$$ it and still get an A!  

This recipe is a Ms. Lollipop original combination of Alton Brown's Chocolate Chip Cookie #10 from his I'm Just Here For More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking and the classic Neiman Marcus Cookie from 500 Cookies: The Only Cookie Compendium You'll Ever Need.  I've made it more "adult" by using Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips and instant coffee powder imported from Germany.  YUM!

These cookies are soft and chewy and stay that way after many days (I can only testify up to 5 days!) in an airtight container.  They taste best warm too, so microwave them for 10 seconds if they're not!  I reduced the amount of butter by nearly half without sacrificing on flavor or texture.  I imagine the cookies would be greasy had I didn't!  And there is no white sugar - all brown for maximum moisture and caramelized taste. There is a subtle hint of coffee but its a match made in heaven with the dark chocolate!  And don't forget to watch my previous post on triple c's for some tips and techniques.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - The Lazy Man's Version
Recipe adapted from I'm Just Here For More Food and 500 Cookies
Ingredients for 2 dozen cookies 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cup (8oz) dark chocolate chips

Directions
1) Beat together the butter and sugar.  Incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract.  Set aside.
2) Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and coffee powder.
3) Using a wooden spoon (or inert spatula) to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Fold in the chocolate chips before the dry ingredients are fully moistened to avoid over-working the dough.
4) Wrap the dough in cling/plastic wrap twice.  (YES, this step is necessary for all the flavors to join forces in order to kick your taste buds out of this world!)
5) Refrigerate for at least three hours (overnight is better).
6) Preheat oven to 375F when ready to bake.  Make sure your dough is at room temperature before baking (or if you watched what I did/explained in my triple c vlog, you can use cold dough - just smoosh it flat with the palm of your hand.)
7) Bake for 8-10 mins (no more!) and allow to cool on wire rack (while still on cookie sheet) before enjoying!