Welcome to Downing Delectables

  

This is very exciting for me-- my first blog. I have been pondering this idea for a while and, after much prayer and encouragement, I am putting it into action. I have been baking since I was a little girl; my great-grandmother, my aunt, and I would “mix it up” in the kitchen after school or on weekends. I just loved it! We would make cupcakes, cakes and muffins, and then I would have to share them with my brother and sister.

I have been thinking about what I wanted to make for my inaugural post… I finally decided on a family fave: chocolate chip cookies. A classic, I know, but we, here in the Downing household, love them. I have tried many recipes, but my favorite (by far) is an adaption on the Cooks Illustrated recipe with brown butter. Once I was introduced to this beautiful thing called brown butter I was hooked. I've added it to any recipe I could think of: blondies, quick breads, muffins, and other cookie recipes.

This recipe requires some muscle, because everything is mixed by hand. For my cookies, I use mini chips because I think the smaller chips are better distributed throughout the dough. After all, there is nothing sadder than to bite into a cookie that is chipless. 


Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 2 dozen)

2 sticks Butter Divided
1 whole egg and 1 yolk
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a pan, and place the pan over medium heat.

3. With a wooden spoon, stir butter until it is melted and starts to foam.

4. Switch to a heatproof spatula and scrape sides and continue to stir butter. After the foam subsides, keep the butter moving by stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan.

5. Once you see brown bits and it starts to have a nutty smell remove the pan from heat… You’ve just made BROWN BUTTER!

5. In a wide mixing bowl place 1/2 stick of butter and brown butter; stir until the butter melts.

6. Add sugars (and get ready to flex those muscles!!!)

7. In a separate bowl, combine flours and baking soda; whisk to combine.

8. To the butter sugar mixture, add the eggs, salt and vanilla; whisk to combine.

9. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, and then whisk for 1 minute.

10. Let it rest again, and then whisk (after each whisking the dough should get a little lighter).

11. Rest and whisk one last time, and then add the flour mixture and fold into the wet ingredients.

12. Once fully combined, add chips and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. 

13. Using a 2 inch scoop, distribute 12 even helpings of the cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheets.

14. Bake for 9-11 minutes until a light golden brown.

15. Cool on wire rack and enjoy. 

**Makes 2 dozen DELECTABLE cookies. Enjoy, and keep checking back for new recipes!