I am a person who is very easily influenced/inspired by other blogs. I have this habit where I will read about something someone did, then obsess about attempting it myself.
Well, there have been some successes in attempts to reach the heights scaled by others, as well as decisions that I am not too proud of. And I confess, it was quite fun doing a little recap:
- My little kaya making experience, stolen pandan leaves and all, inspired by Chubby Hubby's post on Singapore's national brekkie.
- A successful attempt at potstickers (skin and all!!), inspired by Kuidaore's post on gyoza. I bought the book, Fuschia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery, and absolutely love it.
- A backbreaking adventure this was - making Penang Hokkien Mee. This post got me trying it. Not gonna do it again anytime soon, though - and newfound respect for Penang hawkers! Amazing.
- The Chiang Mai coffee ice cream I made, inspired by Cafe Fernando's Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream post, was merely OK, but I learned that I do not like condensed milk in my desserts.
- And these posts on jam (peach, pear, "raspberry apply") inspired me to get Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures. Seriously, what was I thinking? I am no jam maker. I am not even a jam eater. I love my fruit fresh, I don't even like fruit pies and let's face it, I never have enough to ever need to preserve anyway. Stew 20 apples for a few jars of jam? I can't afford it. So that was a little silliness on my part, I have to say.
Well, this time, my inspiration was this post on one of my favourite blogs, which led me to this, and then this.
I had to make a few adaptations, as I often do, as I didn't want to go out to buy bread and cake flour, so I used all-purpose instead. And I halved the recipe. You can get the original recipes (and all the tips and tricks and sharing of experiences, plus way better photos) from the links above.
Ultimate chocolate chip cookies
8 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
5 ounces light brown sugar
4 ounces granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate disks chunks (I chopped up some bars)
Sea salt for sprinkling over
1) Whisk the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then sift into another bowl. Set aside.
2) Using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well after the addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4) When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170 deg C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
5) Scoop teaspoonfuls of of dough onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 13 - 15 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
These cookies were rich, and I don't know if it could be better with the bread and cake flour combination, but I loved the crisp on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside texture of these cookies. And - dare I say it? I think they could do with a little less chocolate chunks. Cos the cookie itself is totally fabulous - caramelly and rich and sweetly scented with vanilla. And the salt, baby, the salt. I have said this before and I will say it again - it just makes the chocolate taste better. Don't skip it, that's all I can say.
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