ariadne's chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are in my top five favourite foods (really).

And one of my top chocolate chip cookie experiences occurred this summer when Ariadne baked chocolate chip cookies for us at the cottage. It was dark, we were sitting outside in front of the fire, the air had a late summer chill to it, and Ariadne brought us warm chocolate chip cookies that were the best I've ever tasted: chewy and crisp at the same time, full of flavour, perfect thickness [which is to say, quite thin], perfect amount of chocolate chips. They're the sort of cookies that make you speechless with appreciation except that Ted was there and so I couldn't be speechless for long since he likes chocolate chip cookies almost as much as I do and so we had to compete for the remaining cookie.

I asked Photini for the recipe in September and ever since then I have made these cookies about once every 3-4 days (in fact, I just finished eating one now). It turns out that Ariadne's chocolate chip cookies need Ariadne herself. I've followed the recipe exactly and yet still cannot seem to capture that amazing cookie moment at the cottage.

I have been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe ever since I moved away from home (and away from mom's chocolate chip cookies) when I was eighteen. Mom gave me her recipe (turns out it was the Joy of Cooking) and yet, here too, my cookies were not the same as mom's. How is that possible?

Anyway, here's Ariadne's recipe (it is great, even if it can't be replicated without Ariadne herself)

Ariadne’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter softened
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tap baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips – we like to use the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa ones or we like to buy valrohna chocolate and chop it into smallish pieces/chunks

Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla
In another bowl mix dry ingredients (except chocolate chips)
Mix wet and dry (but not too vigorously) and stir in chocolate chips
Put golf-sized portions on cookie sheet (ungreased) and bake
Trick is to start checking them after 6 minutes and then every minute thereafter. Its important to take them out before they look done – they’ll cook more once you take them out – let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.


On other matters, this blog has taken a blow from Mad Men. But now that I'm almost finished the second season (two seasons in two weeks!) and, thus, almost finished David's second boxed set, there's hope that I'll be able to hold off watching for a while and return to normal life again.