The Current Chip Leader

Still too busy to blog regularly, but I didn't want the start of the Christmas cookie baking season to go by unacknowledged - especially not when my first batch looked this good, if I do say so myself (and they look even better in person - the photo makes them look darker and shinier than they really are).

Actually, I don't even have to say so myself - both the Missus and the Ten-Year-Old agree that these are the absolute best tollhouse cookies (a request by the Five-Year-Old) I've ever made. The Five-Year-Old really hasn't been around long enough to have a good enough sample size to have such a strong opinion but he, too, seemed to like this year's model just fine.

I usually hate making plain-old chocolate chip cookies because they never come out right - usually too crisp, always too flat. This time around I stuck my electronic thermometer into the butter before I started, to make sure it was around 68 degrees before mixing (a recent tip from America's Test Kitchen). I think that that, along with some attempted solutions from past years that I've accumulated - like a digital scale for more-accurate measuring and an oven thermometer for more-precise baking - did the trick. A lot of work, but mmm-mmm.

I also made the batter for my raspberry linzers (a request by the aforementioned Ten-Year-Old), oatmeal raisin (a request by me), and some cookie-cutter-ready sugar cookies (requested by no one, but I figure I could have the Five-Year-Old help me cut these). I'll bake all those up tomorrow night, hopefully.

Every Christmas I like to attempt a cookie that I haven't made before, so if you have any suggestions let me know.

[The title of this post tells you what I have found time for lately - watching poker shows. Lots and lots of poker shows (just ask the Missus). But that's a story for another post.]

Comments

[Janie]

My suggestion: substitute cranberries for raisins in your oatmeal cookies. Soooo good!

[jane]

http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/cookbook/french_macaroons.html

we have a cut throat cookie competition and this is my entry this year - it's this saturday. these cookies are to die for good!

cheers
jane

[albert]

i recently made a batch of these coconut toffee almond crunch cookies and they are amazing. we're on the last 10 or so cookies. gotta make another batch.

i should really spring for an oven thermometer. i have no idea how our 30 year old electric oven is doing in terms of temperature regulation. i think it's running a tad hot.