Friday, August 21, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Four Ways

I'm one of those folks who can't seem to find the exit to the weight-loss/weight-gain roller coaster. Sometimes I'm on the fit and healthy side of the hill, and sometimes I'm on the can't-button-my-top-pants-button side of the hill. After reading this post, I'll let you guess which side of the hill I'm on right now.

Last month, I was on a full-on Chocolate Chip Cookie kick. About once a week, I'd whip up another batch, all under the guise of "testing recipes" (mmm hmm, right).

First, I made the Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. (You might want to check out the recipe----> here.)





Next, were the Chocolate Chip Cookies Straight Up or with Nuts from Elizabeth Faulkner's Demolition Desserts. (The recipe is---> here. You might need to click the page-up button to get to page 23.)



Moving along, we have Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet. (That recipe is---> here.)



Finally, we had Chocolate Chip Cookies from Baked, New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. I couldn't find the recipe online and I haven't asked permission to post the recipe, so I encourage you to borrow, buy, or steal a copy of the book (just kidding about that last one!). It's a first rate collection of creative desserts with plenty of drool-worthy photos.





I'm guessing you'd like to know how they tasted.

I wish I could remember!

Well, you see, I meant to take notes and compare and contrast, I really did, but then I slipped into a sugar coma and forgot! It's the truth, I swear! Please don't haul me to the slammer.

Ha, just kidding (sort of). I remember they were all a little less cakey than I tend to like, but that's nothing that an extra 1/2 cup of flour wouldn't solve, I'm guessing.

If you like chewy CCC, I think the Demolition Dessert cookies probably had the nicest chewy texture with that sort of caramely tinge. My hubby liked the chopped chocolate.

The King Arthur cookies had that blend of crispy outside and a bit of soft inside.

The Art and Soul of Baking cookies were softest (my favorite trait).

The Baked cookies look thicker in the book than I think mine turned out, so I would definitely add a little more flour if I made these again (I tend to go easy on the flour anyway, so this might have been my fault.)

All of them tasted really good. I didn't have any complaints with the taste.

OK, folks, that's all for now. Please excuse me while I head to the gym for a 50 mile run followed by 500 sit-ups and several hours of weight training. Or maybe I'll just make some more cookies.

24 comments:

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?!!! I'm hungry now, thanks so much. ;)

Unknown said...

I love bake-offs like these!! The demolition desserts CCC seems most my style, I'm sure I'll try them soon :P Thanks!

Julia @ Mélanger said...

I've completely given up the battle. These cookies look awesome!!

NKP said...

Buy bigger pants and keep baking!
They look great, looks like you have enough to share with me...

Snooky doodle said...

these all look delicious! I wouldn t mind tasting one of each :) even two

grace said...

of course they were all delicious! in case you were wondering, #2 looks best to me, but i wouldn't discriminate. :)

Unknown said...

i'm in the same weight battle! baking and weight loss just don't mesh! these all look great

Madam Chow said...

I LOVED this post. Your weight struggle sounds like mine. And I also loved the fact that you taste tested all the recipes. Now, you realize of course, that while I trust your review, I must verify things for myself. By baking all those cookies. For the sake of culinary science, of course.

Teanna said...

The demolition dessert ones totally stood out to me! Those look perfect and chewy! Great job!

Miss High Heels said...

Got to try those Demolition Dessert CCC! I know all too well about the diet roller coaster, it's so hard to be good when you bake isn't it? :)

Donna-FFW said...

All of them look fantastic. One can not go wrong with a CCC. I also try many different in search of a go to. I found one called Chocolate chip overload cookies(on my blog) , has 3x the normal amount of choc chips.. heaven!

Megan said...

Can I move into your house? Because you might need help eating all of those cookies :)

The Purple Foodie said...

Have been craving for choc chip cookies through the week. Will finally make them tomorrow morning!

Molly Jean said...

I LOVE these comparison posts. I think the King Arthur version would be the kind me and my husband would most enjoy. I'll let you know if I try them!

Krafty Christy said...

yum,yum!

Katrina said...

Ahhh, my favorite. If you like them softish/cakey, I just (like literally) made some great ccc's with vanilla pudding mix in them. They are GREAT! Those Elizabeth Faulkner ones look like the kind I really like. Such fun, important work you've done here! (Sorry about the pants. I have the same problem! Sigh. Oh, the things we do all for other's benefit.)

Steph said...

All the cookies look delicious! Sometimes when I do comparisons, I dig into the cookies so quickly I can't remember which is the best. Then I have to do another round of testing..so much work!! haha.

Bunny said...

Thanks for the reviews of the cookies! I just made chocolate banana cookies, I think my new favorite flavor is chocolate banana!

Jill @ Jillicious Discoveries said...

I love that there are so many chocolate chip cookie recipes out there--it never gets old to see them compaired. How can you go wrong with cookies that look so good? :)

Anonymous said...

Mmmmmm! They look great. I was on that side of the hill for way too long. HA HA. They all look delicious.

Amanda said...

Dang, wish I would have known about this post last Friday! I just did a round up of chocolate chip cookies on a blog I work for. These look great!

Anne said...

Yum, I love all the pictures. I'll have to dry the demolition version.

Your lime pies look amazing, by the way- the meringue is so cool!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you made 4 different kinds of choc chip cookies. They all look great. I actually love all kinds of choc chip cookies. Chewy, cakey, crispy.

Talita said...

Looking your cookies I had mouth water! So yummy!!!