Chocolate Chip Cookie Test No. 5-Cook's Illustrated

February 19, 2019

I used to think America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated recipes went hand-in-hand. After some googling, I've learned that America's Test Kitchen is the larger brand while Cook's Illustrated is a small subset of ATK. Thinking I made the ultimate, well-tested chocolate chip cookie when I made America's Test Kitchen's recipe, I didn't realize that there was a different but also beloved Cook's Illustrated cookie too. It's my sista Melissa's go-to favorite chocolate chip cookie and since I trust her tastebuds, I decided to include her favorite into my cookie testing. 
The Recipe: Cook's Illustrated Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Highlights: 
  • uses melted butter (not browned) that is cooled until warm
  • baker can choose between light or dark brown sugar (I went with dark)
  • includes the 1 egg +1 egg yolk like the ATK recipe
  • only required baking soda
  • the recipe calls for creating a jagged edge to make for more attractive finished cookies. after adding in the chips, roll dough into balls, pull apart the dough and then have the ripped sides face up and swish the two sides together to put the cookie back together (it is illustrated in the Cook's Illustrated book and omitted from the linked recipe above)
Overall: This was a delightfully chewy cookie but it lacked the salty snap I came to crave after adding fleur de sel to several cookie batches. I was also missing the brown butter flavor from the ATK recipe. Definitely A+ for texture and a great cookie that comes together quickly without any frills. 🍪🍪🍪

I've devised a new cookie rating system just for my memory that is less extensive than my cupcake rating system: 

🍪yuck 🍪🍪eh 🍪🍪🍪good 🍪🍪🍪🍪great 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪amazing!

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