Chocolate Chip Cookies are My Favorite Comfort Food

Like many great discoveries...and this is one of the greatest, it was a mistake.

Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies in 1930 at the Toll House inn she and her husband Kenneth ran near Whitman, Massachusetts. Like a bed and breakfast, she made food for her guests. One evening in 1937, she got the idea to make a chocolate butter cookie so she broke up one of the bars of semi-sweet chocolate that Andrew Nestle gave her. She thought that it would mix together with the dough & make all chocolate cookies . Needless to say, it didn't. However the cookies came out decent so she served them. They of course were so good they had to be made again. She published the recipes in several newspapers and the recipe became very popular.

Ruth called her discovery the Chocolate Crunch Cookie and she made a deal with Nestle that they could put the recipe on their chocolate bar if they supplied her with free chocolate for her cookies at the Inn.

Nestle supplied Ruth with chocolate. Ruth and Kenneth sold the Toll House Inn in 1966. It was bought by a family that tried to turn it into a nightclub. In 1970 it was bought by the Saccone family who turned it back into its original form. They continued to make the original recipe at a bakery down the road.

The Toll House burned New Years Eve in 1984.

Nestle's tried to make it easy for people to make these cookies. They even included a small chopper in the package. Finally, in 1939, the Chocolate Morsels that we know today were introduced.

The chocolate chip cookie is the most popular kind of cookie in America. Seven billion chocolate chip cookies are eaten annually. The Toll House produces thirty-three thousand cookies each day. Some Vendors only sell chocolate chip cookies. Half of the cookies baked in American homes are chocolate chip.

The Recipe
Estimated Times:

Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 9 min | Cooling Time - 15 min cooling | Yields - 60

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/60 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 60

Amount per serving
Calories: 110
Calories from Fat: 50

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 6g 9%
Saturated Fat: 3g 15%
Cholesterol: 15mg 5%
Sodium: 85mg 4%
Carbohydrates: 13g 4%
Dietary Fiber: 1g 2%
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

As a personal note to the Tollhouse Cookie Recipe above, I really do measure all other chocolate chip recipes by the Tollhouse recipe. When you make the Tollhouse recipe right, it is amazing. You need to use real butter, and real sugar and Nestle's semi-sweet chips. When you start substituting, you lose a lot of the flavor.

My husband is the best cookie baker in our house. He has the patience to perfectly time the cookies, make the all the same size, and to put in pan after pan. If it were up to me, I'd just eat the dough!

We used to use margarine instead of butter, and some other substitutes. Then we started experimenting. When we realized what a difference the original ingredients make, we never went back! And when they are that good, just one or two cookies satisfies you. (Okay, I still like to eat the dough!)

There is no substitute for quality. Even in simple recipes, like mine for chocolate chip cookies, every ingredient's quality has an effect on the recipe's outcome.

Eggs: Always use fresh eggs. Eggs that are past their prime may exhibit a cloudy white and a flatter rather than rounder yolk. If you are not sure about the freshness of an egg, break it into a measuring cup to inspect it before adding it to the recipe. Washing your hands after handling eggs is good procedure. This is especially true if you are going to touch the cookie dough later or taste the dough as you prepare it.

Baking Soda: Arm & Hammer brand baking soda works fine.

Butter: There's no substitute for butter. If you can not use butter for health reasons, do not waste your time attempting to make a great chocolate chip cookie. They will be substandard. I prefer unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter. Name brand butter works better than a generic brands. Generic brands vary a great deal in their taste and texture. You should experiment. My recipe uses softened butter. Softened don't mean liquid butter. When butter becomes a liquid during softening the cookies texture will suffer greatly. My method for softening butter is to use a microwave safe mixing bowl put the butter in it and the mixing bowl goes on a turntable in a microwave. If you do not have a microwave turntable, you should rotate to the bowl every 30 seconds or so. Set the microwave level at low and microwave the butter for a minute or two. The stick of butter should still be shaped like a stick, but can be easily dented by a gentle touch of a finger. Microwave ovens will sometimes microwave the center of the butter and c melted a hole in the center. Don't worry if this happens, a small liquid amount will not seriously damage this recipe. To prevent this, move the butter around in the microwave when you rotate it.

If your butter does not fully soften you will just have to work harder with your mixing the butter into the ingredients, but exercise will do you good.

Salt: I prefer iodized table salt. Salt substitutes taste is not complementary to the cookies.

White Sugar: Grocery stores house brands are not equal to name brands in my experience. White sugars don't seem to vary from one brand to another in quality.

Cookies made with white sugar substitutes are not fit for human consumption.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugars do vary from one brand to the next and by how old they are. I prefer Domino brand brown sugar. If your brown sugar is hard as a rock, it will not make a great cookie. To dissolve hard brown sugar will require too much stirring and will change the texture of the cookie. Using a dark brown sugar will produce a darker stronger tasting cookie than using light brown sugar. In my experience, most people prefer cookies made with light brown sugar. If they don't have a choice, they seem to enjoy cookies made with dark brown sugar just fine.

Brown sugar substitutes do not result in edible chocolate chip cookies.

Vanilla: Whenever two bakers gather to talk baking the debate over whether to use real vanilla extract or imitation vanilla will likely arise. My experience is that real vanilla extract is absolutely necessary for some recipes. For example, I use real vanilla extract when I am adding the vanilla to a cooked custard that I use in a chocolate eclair cake. However, real vanilla extract seems to lose its flavor when exposed to high temperatures like those required to bake chocolate chip cookies. I recommend imitation vanilla extract for this recipe.

Flour: Selecting a flour is also a matter of personal preference. I prefer to use a harder flour. Hard flours will often have labels that say something like "better for bread." Cake flours produce a cookie with a finer texture which in my opinion is not desirable.

Chocolate Chips: The quality of chocolate chips varies greatly. Nestle's Toll House chocolate chips are very good and are available at most markets. I personally don't enjoy the flavor of Hershey's chocolate chips. My preferred chocolate chip brand is Guittard. These chips are available through Sam's Club stores. When I can afford them, I also use Merkens' semisweet chocolate chips. Merkens' chocolate chips are available through The King Arthur Baker's Catalog (800-827-6836).

Nuts: Although most chocolate chip recipes call for walnuts, pecans are preferred by most everyone I have asked. Use whatever nuts you prefer, but don't say that you are using my recipe unless you use pecans. Nut quality is also very important and not easily obtained. Old nuts will be soft and mealy. Taste the pecans before you put them into the dough. If you feel like you would like to have a second or a third, use them. If the not, look for better quality nuts. The brands carried by Sam's Club an BJ's stores are excellent. The Diamond brand nuts found in most markets areas are so so and overly expensive.

1 stick or ¼ pound unsalted butter softened, but not liquid

1 jumbo egg

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup white sugar

½ cup light or dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon imitation vanilla extract

1 1/8 cups flour. If the cookies come out too flat and runny,use a little more flour next time.

3 cups chocolate chips

1 ½ cups pecans whole or chopped

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F. Arrange oven racks so that your cookie rack is in the middle of the oven.

In a large bowl, add softened butter, and egg.
Sprinkle the ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt over the butter and egg.
Add ¼ cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar.
Pour 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract over the brown sugar.
Mix ingredients just until evenly moist.
Add 1 1/8 cups of flour and stir until incorporated.
Add chocolate chips and nuts stirring until evenly blended.You may want to break up the nuts by breaking them into pieces before stirring them into the batter. I usually leave them whole and let the stirring process break up the nuts.
Spray cookie sheets lightly with a aerosol oil like Pam.
Use a teaspoon measure walnut size clumps of cookie dough onto cookie sheets. Do not crowd cookies. Leave space for them to spread out a little and not touch. Women seem to prefer smaller cookies. Men and children prefer larger cookies.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time for about 13 minutes. Do not over bake.
Cool cookie sheets on wire racks. Separate the cookies from the cookie sheets with a spatula or pancake turner before they cool completely.
Store in closed container at room temperature. As with all quality baked goods, chocolate chip cookies taste best if eaten within 24 hours of being baked. After 24 hours the texture and taste of the cookies degenerates.

Notes:
A recipe that contains so few ingredients shouldn't require artfulness to prepare, but it does. Although most recipes call for creaming the eggs and sugar before adding other ingredients, that process turns what should be a great chocolate chip cookie dough into something that tastes overly processed, something more like a mall cookie.

Do not use an electric mixer or food processor to make this recipe. Both appliances ruin the texture of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Do not refrigerate or freeze cookies. Even putting the cookies in a cold room overnight can change their flavor. They should remain a room temperature until they are eaten. If you can't eat all of the cookies you make, share some with a friend or neighbor.

Eating Well reader Beverley Rosenber of Santa Barbara, California, contributed this recipe to our Kitchen to Kitchen department. She updated a favorite treat by cutting back on sugar and incorporating whole grains. To increase protein, Ms. Rosenber replaces the rolled oats with 1 cup almond meal.

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per cookie Calories 99
Carbohydrate Servings 1 Carbohydrates 12 g
Protein 1 g Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 2 g Cholesterol 11 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sodium 64 mg Potassium 55 mg
Exchanges 1/3 starch, 1/3 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 30 min | Cooking - 10 min | Yields - 48 cookies (4 dozen)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Milk Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, ground pecans, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and vegetable shortening in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; beat until well combined. Gradually beat in as much flour mixture as possible. Stir in remaining flour mixture, morsels and nuts. (Recipe may be made ahead up to this point. If desired, cover and refrigerate dough for 4 hours or up to 3 days.) Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/48 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 48 cookies (4 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 150
Calories from Fat: 90

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 10g 15%
Saturated Fat: 3g 15%
Cholesterol: 15mg 5%
Sodium: 55mg 2%
Carbohydrates: 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber: .5g 2%
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 10 min | Cooking - 10 min | Cooling Time - 15 min cooling | Yields - 48 cookies (4 dozen)

Ingredients:

4 cups (two 12-oz. pkgs.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

MELT 2 cups morsels in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining 2 cups morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/48 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 48 cookies (4 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 160
Calories from Fat: 70

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 8g 13%
Saturated Fat: 5g 25%
Cholesterol: 25mg 8%
Sodium: 110mg 4%
Carbohydrates: 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber: .5g 4%
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Our Favorite Sweets

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chip
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Sweetened cocoa, for garnish
Sweetened whipped cream, accompaniment



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 14-inch, light colored, round pizza pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, beating well after the addition of each.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk. Add to the butter mixture, mixing to incorporate, and add the vanilla extract. Fold in the dark and white chips and the nuts. Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is still slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To serve, sift confectioners' sugar and sweetened cocoa over the top, and cut into wedges. Serve sweetened whipped cream on the side.

Chocolate chip cookies with oats, a different twist on an American favorite. Recipe from Nestlé USA.

Preparation time 15 mins
Cooking time 10-15 mins
Serving number 48

Ingredients:
225 g All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda ((Bicarbonate of soda))
1/2 tsp Salt ((optional))
225 g Brown sugar
90 g Granulated sugar
160 g Butter, unsalted (softened)
2 Egg
2 tbsps Milk
2 tsps Vanilla essence
200 g Rolled oat
1 packet NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi sweet chocolate morsels
100 g Pecan nut (chopped)



Preparation steps
Pre-heat oven to 190°C/375°F
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
In a large mixing bowl beat together the brown sugar,granulated sugar and butter until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla essence.
Gradually beat in the flour. Then add oats, NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE morsels and nuts and mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for at 190°C/375°F for 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies and 12-13 minutes for crispy cookies.
Allow cookies to cool 1 minute on the baking sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutritional values per serving
Energy (Kj) 540.18
Energy (Kcal) 128.83
Carbohydrate, total (g) 16.57
Fats, total (g) 6.46
Protein (g) 1.53

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 7 min | Yields - 36 cookies (3 dozen)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12-oz pkg.)Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and peanuts.

DROP dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down slightly to flatten into 2-inch circles.

BAKE for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/36 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 36 cookies (3 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 160
Calories from Fat: 80

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 9g 14%
Saturated Fat: 4.5g 23%
Cholesterol: 15mg 5%
Sodium: 100mg 4%
Carbohydrates: 16g 5%
Dietary Fiber: .5g 4%
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 8 min | Yields - 42 cookies (3 1/2 dozen)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.)Milk Chocolate Morsels
Granulated sugar

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.

DROP dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down slightly with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar.

BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Spread dough into ungreased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/42 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 42 cookies (3 1/2 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 140
Calories from Fat: 70

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 8g 12%
Saturated Fat: 4.5g 23%
Cholesterol: 20mg 7%
Sodium: 75mg 3%
Carbohydrates: 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber: 0g 0%
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Estimated Times:

Preparation - 10 min | Cooking - 9 min | Cooling Time - 15 min cooling | Yields - 60 cookies (5 dozen)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) White Morsels

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/60 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 60 cookies (5 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 100
Calories from Fat: 45

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 5g 8%
Saturated Fat: 3.5g 17%
Cholesterol: 15mg 5%
Sodium: 60mg 3%
Carbohydrates: 13g 4%
Dietary Fiber: 0g 0%
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 35 min | Cooking - 16 min | Yields - 60 cookies (5 dozen)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat butter and peanut butter in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until set. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/60 of recipe
Servings per Recipe: 60 cookies (5 dozen)

Amount per serving
Calories: 170
Calories from Fat: 100

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 11g 16%
Saturated Fat: 4g 20%
Cholesterol: 20mg 6%
Sodium: 105mg 4%
Carbohydrates: 16g 5%
Dietary Fiber: 1g 5%
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

1 1/2 C. butter -- softened
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. old-fashioned oatmeal -- uncooked
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
3 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips -- Ghirardelli
1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter in a large bowl and cream lightly with an electric mixer. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to blend. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to combine.

Using a 1/4 cup measure or a 2-oz ice cream scoop, drop the batter on the parchment-lined pans, leaving 2 -3 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 13 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from parchment and cool on wire racks.

From The Nibble

Najla's Gone Chunky cookies make a statement. Open a neat box of her ready-to-bake frozen cookies, and everything is orderly perfection. In a unique packaging concept, the cookie dough is hand-shaped and frozen on individual, crimped parchment baking cups. The six large cookies, stuffed with big, rectangular chocolate chunks and nestled in their cups, actually look dressed-up and ready-to-eat. If you love eating raw cookie dough, they are ready to eat; but most people will pop them in the oven and wait for the hot cookies to emerge in 17 to 20 minutes.

Classic Flavors
Najla bakes the classics: Classic Chocolate Chunk (no nuts), Classic Gone Nuts! (with big walnut halves), Macadamia Chocolate Chunk, Espresso Walnut Chunk and Oatmeal Cherry Chunk (with white chocolate).

All are quarter-pounders-that is, they weigh 4 ounces (and measure more than 3 inches long by 2 inches wide). By some kind of kitchen alchemy, the cookies don't spread when they cook, but emerge from the oven in the same perfect, chunky shape they had when they went in.

Najla has been baking cookies for almost 20 years. She thinks of everything. She provides the parchment cups for the cookies so they can go into the oven as is, providing grease-free, perfect browning. She provides six extra baking parchments for people who have the restraint to eat a 2-ounce cookie. We don't know these people, but they can cut each frozen cookie in half and place them on the extra parchment rounds so that each box makes a dozen smaller cookies. (The extra cups are also pretty for serving the original 6 cookies.)


(picture) Chocolate Walnut Espresso Chunk, a 2005 NASFT finalist for "Outstanding Dessert" and "Outstanding Cookie Or Cracker."

Tasting through this line is an awfully nice way to spend a week. While those who are extremely fussy about their chocolate chip cookies will argue that the recipe could have a higher percentage of brown sugar to white, and the ongoing debate over chewy versus crunchy texture will never end (these are chewy), no one will dispute that Najla's cookies are delicious. Chocolate Walnut Espresso Chunk was tapped as a finalist in the annual NASFT Fancy Food Show competition the year it debuted and we agree: while Chocolate Walnut Espresso is not generally our favorite flavor, we couldn't stop eating these! The entire line won "Best In Show" as well as "Best Snack Food" at this year's Kosherfest.

Like all fine artisan products, Najla's Gone Chunky cookies are made in small batches using top-of-the-line ingredients: organic bleached wheat flour, large Belgian chocolate chunks from Callebaut, the freshest nuts, pure Madagascar vanilla extract and premium butter and eggs. Add to that the chunky consistency-a rare combination of density, breadth, height and packed ingredients-and you have something wonderfully different with a wow-factor in eye appeal (these photos don't do the cookies justice). As noted previously, when we opened the box of frozen cookies, they looked so perfectly edible, we wondered if they need to be baked. We now will admit: we baked half the cookies and ate the other half raw.*

*The eggs are pasteurized and The Nibble's physician has advised us that the odds of salmonella poisoning from frozen dough are extremely rare. We personally assume that risk-we also eat steak tartare-but cannot assume it for our readers.


(picture) Fresh, Hot Gourmet Cookies Anytime
Those aren't almonds-the Oatmeal Cherry Chunk cookies are made with white chocolate chunks. There are no nuts.

What we like about Najla's Gone Chunky Cookies is how easy they make it to serve your loved ones (include yourself on that list) a hot, fresh-baked cookie. To anyone coming home after school, returning from a hard day at work, reaching sanctuary wet and cold from the rain, not feeling well from fatigue or the sniffles, finishing a particularly difficult task...this is an energizing reward. And the reward for the "cook" is that one doesn't have to bake an entire batch of cookies: Make one or two (or even a half) in the toaster oven. Sure, you could use a slice-and-bake cookie log from the grocery store, but you could also serve grocery store boxed chocolate chip cookies. Not much reward there!

The reward is in being able to serve (and eat!) these delicious, "homemade" cookies without needing to wash a bowl or even grease the cookie sheet.


(picture) Already-Baked Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Chunk cookies are a popular combination. In option #2, Najla will do all of the work for you, and will send a dozen of any flavor cookie already baked and ready-to-eat.

Whether you choose the baked road or the frozen cookies, it is a very special treat. Send a box as a special-occasion gift, as a thank-you, as a surprise to your favorite cookie-dough addict. It's a different type of holiday gift, but one box of each flavor may prove to be the best thing someone receives this is holiday season. Don't forget to keep a box or two in your freezer.

The frozen cookies are sold in gourmet supermarket chains like Wegmans and specialty food stores. Now, with that gourmet, hot-from-the-oven cookie store in the village or at the mall in your freezer, you don't have to decide how many to buy or what flavors. Keep Najla's in the freezer and enjoy whatever you want, whenever you want: one at a time or by the boxful.

NAJLA's GONE CHUNKY® GOURMET COOKIES

Chocolate Walnut Espresso, Classic Chocolate Chunk, Classic Gone Nuts!, Macadamia Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Cherry Chunk

Certified kosher (D) by Orthodox Union

All cookies are quarter-pound

6 Frozen Cookies, Any Flavor
$10.99
One Dozen Fresh-Baked
Cookies
$24.95
Purchase online at NAJLAs.com

For a cookie-licious gift, send someone a box of every flavor.

Shipping additional. Prices and flavor availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.

2 c Softened margarine-4 sticks
3/4 c Firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 c Granulated sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Water
2 Eggs
2 1/2 c Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c Raisins
1 pkg Chocolate chips-12 ounce

Beat softened margarine, brown and white sugars, vanilla, water and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until creamy and thoroughly blended. By hand, stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well mixed. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Using teaspoon from measuring set, spoon dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Allow 1 to 1-1/2 inches between cookies for spreading. Bake in moderate oven (375) for 8 minutes, or until cookies are nicely browned, depending on how crisp or well done you like them.

Cream:

12 oz butter

12 oz sugar

Blend in:

12 oz flour

12 oz chopped toasted hazelnuts

12 oz Ghirardelli Double chocolate chips

Form into about 40 cookies. Bake about 12 min @ 350 degrees F (until very slightly browned on the bottom, do not overcook)

1/2 c Butter or Margarine (NOT diet!)
1 (3 ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
1 tb Milk
1 c Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 c regular (all purpose) Flour
1 bag of Mini or Regular Chocolate Chips
1/2 c Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Heat oven to 375 F.

Cream butter or margarine, cream cheese and milk in medium bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop level measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet, covered with parchment paper or they may get too brown or burn on the bottoms. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Makes 3 dozen 2 inch cookies. For a real different taste use white chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon orange or lemon rind & substitute Macadamia nuts.

1 c Shortening
6 oz Cream Cheese; Softened,(2PK)
1/2 c Sugar; Granulated
1/2 c Brown Sugar; Packed
2 Eggs; Large
2 ts Orange Peel; Grated
1 ts Vanilla
2 c Flour; Unbleached
2 ts Baking Powder
1 ts Salt
6 oz Chocolate Chips; Semisweet
1/2 c Nuts; Finely Chopped(Option)

Servings: 12

Cream together shortening, cheese, and sugars. Add eggs, peel, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired sprinkle lightly with nuts or granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F about 10 minutes. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts(walnuts or pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture; mix well. Add chopped nuts & chocolate chips; mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoons onto well-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets while warm and cool on racks. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies. This recipe can be doubled.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour -- unsifted

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter -- softened

1 cup shortening -- softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar -- packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sourdough starter

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups walnuts -- chopped

2 12 oz pkgs chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter, shortening, sugars and mix well. Add eggs and beat until all are blended. Add vanilla and sourdough starter. Beat in flour, soda, salt and mix well. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. This makes 70 cookies and can be cut in half for smaller batches.

Okay, everyone....a true story of justice in the good old U.S. of A. Thought y'all might enjoy this; if nothing else, it shows internet justice, if it can be called that.

My daughter & I had just finished a salad at Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas & decided to have a small dessert. Because our family are such cookie lovers, we decided to try the "Neiman-Marcus Cookie". It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe and they said with a small frown, "I'm afraid not." Well, I said, would you let me buy the recipe? With a cute smile, she said, "Yes." I asked how much, and she responded, "Two fifty." I said with approval, just add it to my tab.

Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement from Neiman-Marcus and it was $285.00. I looked again and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said, "Cookie Recipe - $250.00." Boy, was I upset!! I called Neiman's Accounting Dept. and told them the waitress said it was "two fifty," and I did not realize she meant $250.00 for a cookie recipe.

I asked them to take back the recipe and reduce my bill and they said they were sorry, but because all the recipes were this expensive so not just everyone could duplicate any of our bakery recipes....the bill would stand.

I waited, thinking of how I could get even or even try and get any of my money back.

I just said, "Okay, you folks got my $250.00 and now I'm going to have $250.00 worth of fun." I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover will have a $250.00 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus for nothing. She replied, "I wish you wouldn't do this." I said, "I'm sorry but this is the only way I feel I could get even," and I will.

So, here it is, and please pass it to someone else or run a few copies....
I paid for it; now you can have it for free.

The Neiman-Marcus Cookie (recipe may be halved)

2 cups butter 4 cups flour

2 tsp. soda 2 cups sugar

5 cups blended oatmeal** 24 oz. chocolate chips

2 cups brown sugar 1 tsp. salt

1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated) 4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder 3 cups chopped nuts

2 tsp. vanilla

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and other sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies. Have fun!!! This is not a joke --- this is a true story..

The Real Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1-3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1-1/2 tsp Instant Espresso Powder, Slightly Crushed
8 ounce Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Combine the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, or 10-12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Makes 12-15 large cookies

For several years, we have heard a story about the mythical Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. We don't know how it got started or who is perpetuating the myth, but this "cookie monster" just won't die! We would never charge anyone for a Neiman Marcus recipe. We share our restaurant recipes for free upon request.

This same story circulated in the late 1930's about a lady who dined at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. She liked the Red Velvet Cake so much she asked for the recipe. When she received her hotel bill, she had been charged $100 for the recipe. (This was during the Depression, so it seems our version of the story has been adjusted for inflation!)

Neiman Marcus never served cookies in our restaurants until recently, when we developed a new chocolate chip cookie in response to this myth! Following is the recipe (free of charge, of course.) Please feel free to share this letter and the recipe with anyone you know who may be similarly interested in the truth behind this "cookie that won't crumble!"

Makes About 3 Dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg white
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 375F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the vanilla, whole egg, and egg white. Beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture in two batches; mix until just combined. Mix in chocolate.

Shape 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time into balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.