As Requested - My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently reviewed the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" by Cook's Illustrated.  Although CI's cookies were indeed very good, I mentioned they weren't as good as my favorite recipe.  Little did I know how many comments and email requests I would get by saying that.

So here is the recipe that I love so much - it comes from CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher.  In the book, Shirley shares 4 chocolate chip cookie variations; basic, thin, puffed, and lastly, in-between.  The "puffed" and "in-between" versions rely on the use of butter-flavored shortening instead of real butter like the "basic" and "thin" versions.  Since my blog is called ButterYum, you can guess which variations I wanted to try - the basic and the thin ones.  Both were extremely good, but the thin cookies won my family's taste test by a landslide.

Because butter melts more easily than shortening, these cookies spread a bit during baking - they bake up crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle.  They aren't the most attractive chocolate chip cookies you'll ever see, but I promise they won't disappoint when it comes to flavor - I can't resist their strong vanilla, hint of caramel, chocolaty-chip goodness.  I hope you like them as much as we do.  On a side note - this recipe contains no eggs, so enjoy eating the dough raw without guilt.

Items used to make this recipe:

(*affiliate links)

• #50 cookie scoop https://amzn.to/3K8ZPNc

• pure vanilla extract (be sure to use the good stuff here) https://amzn.to/3tVjLOR

• mini chocolate chips https://amzn.to/3AxUvPV

• half sheet pans https://amzn.to/3IyB0tl

• silpat liners https://amzn.to/3KDvlEd

• Lyle’s golden syrup https://amzn.to/4eBEpbm

• CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher https://amzn.to/47WPjGd

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Shirley O. Corriher's Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 36 cookies (#50 cookie scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour (yes bleached - using unbleached flour will result in "greasy" cookies)

• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup (*see my note below)

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (6 ounces) - regular choc. chips are too large for these cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Add corn syrup and milk; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Add vanilla extract; beat well.

6. On low speed, gradually add the reserved dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.

7. Add mini chips and mix on low for 5 seconds.

8. Remove bowl from mixer and check to see all the ingredients are combined well - use a silicone spatula to finish mixing if needed.

9. Prepare half half sheet pans by spraying with non-stick baking spray (or line with Silpat liners).

10. Drop a #50 scoop (1 tablespoon) of batter about 2 inches apart onto completely cool sheet pan (don't be afraid to chill the cookie dough if it starts to get too soft at room temperature).

11. Bake one sheet pan at a time; for 8-12 minutes or until edges just begin to turn brown (check early).

12. Remove sheet pan from oven and wait 3 minutes before transferring cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Note

• My adaptation of this recipe uses an equal amount of Lyle’s Golden Syrup in place of the light corn syrup. The flavor of Golden Syrup is buttery and caramel-y (is that a word???). I made both versions recently and the Lyle’s Golden Syrup version was preferred by all.

adapted from CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher

ButterYum's Vanilla Nut Bars

Ina Garten is one of my favorite TV Personalities - I just love her food, her style, and her on-camera personality. You know how you can kinda tell how you're going to get along with a person before you really get to know them? Well, I'm convinced she and I would get along wonderfully.

Anyway, I love how Ina encourages her viewers to master a really good recipe or technique, and then change it up a bit to make different variations. That's exactly what I did with her Pecan Squares - I used her fabulous recipe as a starting point, tweaked it here and there, and ended up with these delicious nibbles that I call Vanilla Nut Bars. I think Ina would approve :).

The changes were simple - I omitted the lemon and orange zest from the original recipe, I replaced half of the pecans with almonds, I added lots of vanilla extract, and I replaced the honey with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  I also cut the recipe in half so my family isn't tempted to eat an entire sheet pan full of these delicious treats. Double the recipe if you want to feed a crowd!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• commercial 9x13 pan https://amzn.to/3Uj4bGL

• Lyle’s golden syrup https://amzn.to/3WEsH7p

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3sVHr3Q

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3h8fJy5 (use the good stuff!)

• BeaterBlade attachment https://amzn.to/2HXr41r

• almonds https://amzn.to/3Un3wUU

• pecans https://amzn.to/3DRqKvN

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ButterYum's Vanilla Nut Bars

Makes one 9x13 pan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling:

• 1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (or honey)

• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• 1 pound chopped nuts (I used almonds and pecans)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Make the crust by combining the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

3. Use the paddle or BeaterBlade attachment (LOVE my BeaterBlade); mix for 3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

5. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed just until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

6. Using well floured hands, press dough into ungreased 9x13 metal cake pan or lined 9x13 quarter sheet pan (see notes below).

7. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Cool. Make the filling.

8. Make the filling by combining the butter, golden syrup (or honey), and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

9. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; continue to boil for 3 minutes.

10. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and chopped nuts.

11. Pour mixture over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes.

12. Cool until set. Cut and serve!

Notes

• Lyle's Golden Syrup is an all natural sugar cane syrup imported from England. It has an addictive caramel-like flavor and I absolutely love it. It can be used interchangeably in any recipe that calls for honey or corn syrup.

• If baking in a quarter sheet pan, build up the edges a bit with nonstick foil to catch any possible spills.

• A double recipe will fit in one half sheet pan or two 9x13 cake pans.

adapted from Ina Garten's Pecan Squares

(affiliate links)

Lyle's Golden Syrup