to the test

not too long ago, i came across an article in the times about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. i've never had a great love for baking and have always much preferred cooking. however, i was a bit intrigued. supposedly, the trick to making the perfect cookie is to let the batter rest for not 12 or 24, but 36 hours. only then, does the cookie take on an interesting complexity of flavors.

having an unusual abundance of free time this week, i decided to give it a try. after dinner with celestial on monday night, i came home and whipped up the cookie batter making some of the usual tweaks (kicking up the chocolateyness by adding a bar of lindt chocolate truffle) and not so usual changes (coconut extract vs vanilla). like every instance while mixing dough, i cursed the fact that i don't have a handmixer and that brown sugar always seems to harden too much. after i beat out all the lumps, i layed out a sheet of wax paper and shaped the batter into a cylinder that would faciliate refrigeration and cutting at a later date.

wed afternoon, i brought out the batter and baked the cookies. the differences that i noticed were batter that tasted more like shortbread- richer and more butter. beyond that, they were just as chocolate chip cookies should be . . . crunchy, chocolatey, and tasty. hmm. maybe i'll have to try again and do a blind taste testing. . .