Soft and chewy chocolate chip treats

Adam has been in Joburg for a conference and is coming back late tonight. I’ve been thinking of a treat to welcome him home and know that this will have to be in pastry form… his Achilles heal.

I have come across a recipe for soft and chewy chocolate chips cookies in a recipe book I have on loan from my aunt (an inspired cook and fellow food nut) called ‘The new best recipe’ complied by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. I love the concept of this recipe book. They take each recipe and try between 30 – 50 version of it and then vote on the best one.

I have translated the recipe into South African ingredients, measurements and temperate and the cookies are now in the oven… they smell amazing! Am very excited.

One ingredient I want to mention is the chocolate chips. I went to my favourite speciality food store, Komati foods, and they to my great delight had Callebaut chocolate drops – a far superior baking chocolate to most you can find in SA stores. I bought both the milk and dark chocolate and put half a cup of each in the cookie dough.

The cookies are out and have been tasted hot off the baking sheet. They are all that was promised in the recipe. Crispy on the edges and chewy in the centre with little pools of melted chocolate as you bite into them… seriously good. The recipe recommend eating them warm and I totally second that!

I do however have a few amendments I would make. I think they are touch too sweet and would drop the sugar content by about 25% If I try them again. I would also only use the dark chocolate chips next time. They have a far richer flavour than the milk.

I can’t wait for Adam to get home… he's going to platz.

Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies (with my amendments)

Makes about 20 medium cookies

200g butter, just melted (not too hot)

¾ cup of brown sugar (I have dropped this from the original recipe)

¼ cup of castor sugar (I have dropped this from the original recipe)

1 large egg, and one large egg yolk

2 tsp of vanilla essence

½ tsp of salt

1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice (my addition – it cuts the sweetness a little)

2 cups and ¼ cup of cake flour

½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of dark chocolate chips (Callebaut chocolate drops are my recommendation)

Preheat the oven to 160C˚. Place one wrack at the top and one wrack in the middle of the oven. Have two large baking sheets ready.

Combine the melted butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric whisk. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt and lemon juice. Add one cup of the flour, then the bicarb and then remaining flour. Combine on slowest speed. Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.

Grease the baking sheets with butter or spray and cook. Roll the dough into balls of about golf ball size and place on the baking sheet allowing about 6cm between each ball for spreading.

Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake for about 15 – 18 minutes until golden brown. Half way through baking, turn the sheets 180˚ and switch wracks, so the cookies can bake evenly.

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets. Remove from the baking sheets with a flat spatula and serve warm if possible. They will be just fine served cool as well and should be stored in an airtight container.