Craving … a sliver of chong gak kimchi on top of a steaming spoonful of sticky rice – all washed down with iced barley tea.

As you may know, D and I have been in pursuit of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for quite some time now. We chanced upon a recipe (detailed in an earlier post) that we deemed perfect. Since then, it has been our go-to recipe for our chocolate fixes. But in recent days, I must admit that we’ve “stepped out” on our recipe as we’ve been sampling some others. Admittedly, I feel terribly guilty for being unfaithful to our dependable and age-old recipe. But a girl has needs! You understand, don’t you?

We recently tried out two recipes: the self-proclaimed perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe (courtesy of the NY Times) and a crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe (courtesy of Artisan Sweets). This past weekend, we got to try out both of them.

The crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookie had a texture to die for. Crispy on the circumference and along the bottom edge, but chewy and meltingly tender throughout, it surely lived up to its name.

But the “perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe” ultimately won out. The cookies from this batch are so distinct and superior in their taste and texture that they are a bit difficult to describe. Like the crispy, chewy chocolate cookies, the perfect chocolate chip cookies had a multidimensional texture. But while the crispy, chewy cookies were crispy in a “snap when you crack the cookie in half” type of way, the perfect chocolate chip cookies, while giving you that satisfying crisp upon first bite, still gave way meltingly gently. More importantly, the flavor of the cookie was well-rounded with toffee, almost caramel-like undertones and was accented by sweet bursts of chocolate and hints of sea salt in every bite.

We have a huge batch sitting in the fridge that we cannot – must not – should not finish on our own. So please do drop by and I’ll bake some up fresh – just for you. For those of you who are not in close proximity to 1d41, apologies! But do not fret, I will post recipes ASAP with some insights of my own. In the meantime, you can find the original recipes here:

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies – NY Times

and

Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos

Think about some of your favorite childhood memories, and odds are that one (if not two or three) will have something to do with an Oreo. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. In my case, I remember …

… those commercials of kids and grandparents making airplane Oreos, zooming them around, dunking them into glasses of ice cold milk, giggling, and biting into them as the kid and granddad share a secret smile.

… that game gracie and I always played, where we would  each twist off a side of an Oreo, hoping to get the most cream, because that would ensure that our crush was crushing on us, too – obviously.

… and sneakily twisting open an Oreo, eating the filling, sticking the cookies back together, and running away with the sweet taste of victory lingering in my mouth.

So when I ran across this recipe for homemade Oreos, a wave of whimsy rushed over me, and I just knew I had to try it out. The recipe produced a cookie that was reminiscent of an Oreo, but the strong form of cocoa powder I used gave the cookies a more mature twist. After having done one trial run with the recipe, I think I’ll modify it the next time around in two key respects: 1) reducing the amount of sugar used, and 2) using the slice and bake method used on refrigerator cookies instead of dropping the dough so that I can better control the thickness of the cookies (if they get too thick, they get too intense). Additionally, I might consider shaving off a couple minutes from the baking time to produce softer, chewier wafers that might complement the creaminess of the filling even better.



Homemade Oreos
Adapted from SmittenKitchen
Serving size: 24-36 cookies

Chocolate Wafers
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg

Filling
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tspns vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. The dough should be crumbly. Add the large egg. Continue mixing until a mass of dough forms. It will be very dense.
3. Roll the dough into a log 2 inches in diameter, and slice the cookies to 1/4 inch in thickness. Place cookies on parchment paper. about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes for crispy cookies, and 6-7 minutes for chewier ones.
4. While the cookies are baking, prepare the filling by creaming together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Start on low and gradually increase speed.
6. Transfer the filling to a piping bag. Once the cookies are baked, let cool. Then put a dollop (or two) of frosting on one cookie. Sandwich it with another cookie.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!