Recently,I was given a really generous gift from Argyle Communications for helping them share about D'Italiano's Cook-Off Challenge and help set up a D'Italiano Prize Pack Giveaway,which is still going on till March 30th.
If your not a friend of mine on my personal Facebook then you wouldn't of heard about this gift.Well to fill everyone in, I received a President Choice $25 gift card as a thank you gift for helping share about D'Italiano's Challenge.I was notified I would received a little something.But I never would of thought a gift card for twenty-five dollars.I was super surprised and grateful.
So guess what I used that money towards?
So guess what I used that money towards?
If you guessed baking, then your right.So what did I get myself? Well I was actually able to squeeze in six items with 2 dollars to spare. I chose first to purchase a must needed baking item,baking powder.Because mine was getting very old and started to chunk up.Worthless to use.Then I bought my favorite ingredients brown sugar and semisweet chocolate chips.The best items to use for cookies,by far.Then lastly I was able to score an in store sale for Parkay hard margarine.Best shopping day ever,everything free!
It didn't stop there though because I still had money left over and on another day,I bought some icing sugar to use in a recipe I just did yesterday and I finally got myself a Candy/Deep Fry thermometer. I've always wanted this thermometer because I have missed out in making some great recipes,especially during Christmas season.Now I won't miss out!
Only 2 dollars left now....buy something small I would say.
Now with all these great items I got free.Nothing can stop me, from baking delicious treats and I would say everyone around me is super spoiled in the treat department.So for the first item to be baked.I chose to make a beloved treat, the chocolate chip cookie.I followed a brand new recipe on Robin Hood and slightly adapted it for the ingredients I had on hand.I almost had everything off the list except golden vegetable shortening, but remember I bought a whole box of Parkay hard margarine.So I used that instead, even though it would be a different cookie in the end.
It was a different cookie,especially in appearance.It had a rich dark color and it came to be a thinner or flatter cookie compared to the original recipe picture.Now these were the only differences I was able to detect without testing it up against the golden shortening.I would say the shortening would of made the cookie better looking in appearance and allowing it to be thicker.
The overall texture of the cookie is chewy with a slight crisp edge, depending on how long you like to bake them.They are soft and also have the same thickness to the chocolate chips.This gives you the illusion you have lots of chips to one cookie. The overall flavor has a very deep rich sweetness from the brown sugar.It also has a slight saltiness to it from the baking soda and salt.This really helps enhances the dark chocolate flavor of the chips.The flavor is very good, but I would say it seems to give a lingering aftertaste. So I do recommend drinking milk during or after.
Now the recipe in it self is nothing difficult.Its one of your run of the mill recipes and you can basically add any little extra you like.However I would say the only issue that I had was the temp and the time.I had a hard time seeing what the best time range was for these cookies,especially when I changed the fat content.I had to really watch them and I had one batch a little over baked and some just right.Experimenting always has its complications.
Now if you want that golden color to the cookie use that golden shorten, same amount.Now if you don't have that, use hard margarine or butter.Whatever one you choose it will turn out and be delicious in it self.Just know that all these items have different reaction,but anything with chocolate chips makes anything good.So try it out yourself.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted From Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup hard margarine
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 extra large egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp (4 mL) baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375F
In a large bowl.Cream the brown sugar and hard margarine together until creamy.
(Note:Using hard margarine will change texture/thickness and flavor)
Add egg,milk and vanilla,mix well with wooden spoon.
In a medium bowl.Mix flour,salt and baking soda, thoroughly.
Add flour blend to creamed mixture,mix well.
In a medium bowl.Mix flour,salt and baking soda, thoroughly.
Add flour blend to creamed mixture,mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips
On a ungreased cookie sheet.Drop rounded tbsps of cookie dough.Well spaced apart ( Note:Will spread quite a bit)
Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 8+ minutes for chewy cookies until dark golden brown.This time varied for me on each cookie sheet.
