Recipe of the Week

Do you watch Food TV? If you do, you've probably seen Alton Brown. Honey and I love him. His shows can be a bit goofy, but we quite enjoy that. We love that he has cameras inside his fridge, in the oven, etc. We love that from time to time a hand will just show up passing him some ingredient or something that he needs. The thing I love about his show the most is that he scientifically explains how things work. Like the show when he talked about egg whites and he recreated what happens to them by using a huge room full of white balloons. OR....the time he did the Chocolate Chip Cookie episode and changed the recipe for three different kinds of cookies. The Puffy, The Chewy and The Thin. Why would that be so fascinating? I'll tell you.

First of all, he didn't just do it three ways. He explained why the different ratios of white sugar to brown - whole eggs to part - shortening to butter- regular flour, cake flour and bread flour - all affect the way your cookie turns out. For instance, mostly white sugar, shortening and regular flour will create a crispier cookie. The one I LOVE the most, The Chewy, uses ratios that create a chewier cookie. Don't knock it 'till you try it.

:::::WARNING:::::

There are tricks to this recipe. Things he did on the show that aren't listed in the recipe. (That's why I love watching Food TV). I will list those tricks in and around the recipe (small and italicized). Trust me. I've made this 100 times. I've messed them up and learned my lesson.

:::::WARNING:::::

Yes, there's another warning.

You are not going to want to give up any more of these than you have to. I'm not kidding. If you want to do the make & take...you'd better make plenty. One batch of large cookies (6 per cookie sheet while baking) gives you about 18 cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (if you don't want to buy unsalted butter, just eliminate or cut in half the added salt below)
  
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. (DING DING DING DING!!!! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! It will take a while. Be patient. Don't do anything more until it is really light and really fluffy. It directly contributes to the chewiness of the cookie) Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough (Also very important. Make sure it's nice and cold all the way through) then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet(nice and big!!!). Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes(Do not overbake). Rotate the baking sheet for even browning(if necessary). Cool completely and store in an airtight container.