Best of Both Worlds Chocolate Chip Cookies #FoodieReads

A couple of years ago one of my best friends was telling me a story about her younger son. He had asked her if Auntie Cam could make cookies like his favorite cookies from Panera.

Given that I am always up for some culinary adventure and a good challenge, I headed down to the store and picked up some of his favorite cookies. Jenn told me they were called 'Chocolate Chippers.' Okay. I bought four.

Then, I tested a batch. Mine aren't quite a match to theirs, but my taste tester was excited. He said that they were chewy in the center, crispy on the edges; they were the perfect size, that is to say enormous; so, they were the best of both world. With that endorsement, I definitely wanted to write down this process so I could replicate them. I have been making them for years and was inspired to make another batch after reading Lava Cake and Lies by Nova Walsh.

On the Page

Lava Cake and Lies by Nova Walsh takes place just down the coast from us in what they are calling Moonstone Bay, but I read as Cambria because that has a Moonstone Beach. Ginny Malone flees San Francisco after her marriage collapses and settles in the seaside haven of Moonstone Bay where she impulsively rents a space to open her own bakery. This is my favorite genre for killing time: a cozy mystery with a hefty dose of food.

In this, a first of the series, Ginny aims to solve a murder that ends up solving a troubling cold case. I liked the characters of Ginny, Lois (her hammer-wielding contractor), and Vince (her landlord slash private detective slash love interest) and see the trio as a compelling set for future books. Can't wait.

As a culinary cozy, there is plenty of food on the pages from Fran's diner to Ginny's test kitchen in her cabin. I can wholeheartedly relate to this: "Still, as I kneaded the dough, some of my tension eased. Baking had always been my way of finding balance. No matter how uncertain life seemed, there was something comforting about the simplicity of flour, water, and yeast coming together into something nourishing" (pg. 47.). And this "There was something so satisfying about baking, the way a handful of simple ingredients—flour, water, yeast—could transform into something as solid and comforting as bread. My grandmother always said baking was part alchemy, part therapy, and I believed it now as I stared at the beautiful loaf I’d created" (pg. 52).

But what sent me to the kitchen was Ginny's attempt to find a signature cookie. "I’d stayed up far too late testing cookie recipes—chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, a questionable attempt at white chocolate macadamia. The results were all edible, but none of them screamed 'signature item' to me" (pg. 93). I do wonder if I have a signature item. I will have to ask my family.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

• 1 cup organic dark brown sugar

• 1 cup organic granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract

• 1 Tablespoon rice flour

• 1 teaspoons baking soda

• 3 cups flour

• 1-1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chip

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

• Also needed: hand mixer, spatula, Tablespoon scoop, baking sheets, parchment paper, wire cooling racks

Procedure

1. Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and rice flour.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Once the butter is melted, pour that into the sugar-egg mixture and continue beating until well-incorporated.'

5. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until everything is just moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.

6. Scoop 3 Tablespoon portions and place them on a baking sheet. Gently press the portions into a balls and flatten them slightly on the prepared baking sheets.

7. Place tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

8. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container...or enjoy them warm

The first time I made these, I sent his mom a photo with the caption: Better hurry! Uncle Jake is eating your cookies!

Then I had to follow-up with another message that I was just kidding. N's cookies are safe from Uncle Jake's consumption.

Later his mom sent me a text that made my auntie heart soar with pride: "He loves them. Better than Panera. Thicker and more flavorful according to the food critic in my back seat. Thank you!" I guess he didn't wait till they got home to try them. Now we just need to find out if he decides to share with the rest of his household.

I am adding this to the January 2025 #FoodieReads Link-Up.