I guess that this is only marginally homestead related, but I have tried a number of choc.chip cookie recipes and so far havent found one that is fantastic. My definition of fantastic would be in part that it stays soft. My current recipe is ok, but after they cool they get hard. My husband is a choc. chip cookie lover and I thought I would make his day with some good cookies. Thank you, Tami in WI

-- tami in wi (windridg@chorus.net), February 01, 2002

Answers

Here's mine,One box of chocolate devils food cake mix, one stick of butter(melted),and three eggs and a bag of chocolate chips-mix together and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.YUM!! Daryll

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Preheat oven to 375. Sift together 1 cup flour, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda. Cream together 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla. Stir sifted ingredients into creamed mixture. Add 6 oz. chocolate chips and 1 cup broken pecans. Drop by spoonsful onto cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes.Under cooking a bit will make chewier cookies. Diet tip; never eat a warm cookie,you cn never stop at one!

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), February 01, 2002.

Go to topsecretrecipes.com, they probably still have the famouse Nieman Marcus recipe clone, as well as the Mrs. Field's clone. Part of the problem with duplicating recipes if that's what you want is the fact that home ovens can't compare to commercial ovens.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), February 01, 2002.

Well, I don't like to brag ;), but I do make the best chocolate chip cookies:) Unfortunately, I'm a "dumper", so I don't know if I can give you an exact recipe.

I use one stick of margarine(barely soft, not melted), and about the same amount of peanut butter. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and about that much baking powder, and 2 eggs.

Mix well, then add in "a little" quick oats--maybe 1/2 cup, and 2 or 2 1/2 cups flour--until you have a nice, stiff dough. Then your bag of chocolate chips.

Bake at 375, about 10 minutes. Take them out as soon as they begin to smell done, or the very first cookies get a slight hint of golden. Don't overbake.

And I agree, if you eat em hot, you'll regret it later:) Have fun.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 01, 2002.

Tami - If you take the recipe you've been using and use half butter or margarine and half shortening, you should get a softer cookie. Also insulated cookie sheets will give you a softer cookie.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), February 01, 2002.

For soft cookies, I just use a normal recipe, but take them out of oven just a bit before they're done. As soon as I can handle them without them breaking, I put them in ziplocks or a bowl that seals really well. People rave about the softness of my peanut butter cookies done this way. Good luck!

-- Laura (lucky1s@mcmsys.com), February 02, 2002.

In my experience, butter makes a softer cookie than margarine. Under cooking is an iffy solution - remember eggs and risk of salmonella? Here's my recipie derived from the Nieman Marcus version. It's soft in a granular way, not gooey.

Beyond Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a blender whizz 2 1/2 cups rolled oats to make oatmeal.

In a bowl, cream together well 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar

Beat together 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Add to first mix.

Separately, sift together 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons cocoa powder stir in the oatmeal and add to the butter mix. When well combined add 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips Using two spoons, place teaspoon sized dollops of mix on a greased baking sheet and bake at 300° - 350° F oven for 10 - 12 minutes. ( Too hot an oven will scorch the chocolate ) Let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a rack to finish cooling.

Options: to make a softer cookie, use up to 1 cup whole wheat but reduce oatmeal 1/2 c. Or add 1 tbsp butter, add another egg. Store in freezer when baked

Or try adding a bit more flour to your brownie recipe, enough to make it spoonable without flowing.

-- Deborah HArdy (virgil@igs.net), February 02, 2002.

I don't worry about "undercooking" since half the time I just eat the cookie dough....lol

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), February 02, 2002.

I agree with the real butter and baking a short time. The best recipe wont matter much if you leave em in too long. If you're using your own eggs, and your birds get fresh air, sunshine, and greens, I wouldn't personally give salmonella a thought, unless you have a compromised immune system. Healthy people carry some salmonella around in their guts all the time.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

tami,

For cookies that stay soft, add honey. Instead of granulated sugar, I use half that amount of honey and increase the brown sugar. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, I use 1 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), February 02, 2002.

I like raw cookie dough and prefer that over the final product when it comes to chocolate chip. I've never gotten sick from it. You don't want me in the kitchen if you're trying to make cookies ; )

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), February 02, 2002.