Chocolate brownie crack cookies to die for - and how to ship a food gift.

Ok, I may have edited the name of the cookie but it got you reading this, didn't it?  They are actually called Chocolate brownie crackle cookies due to the lovely little cracks that form when the cookies rise and bake in the oven.


I found the recipe for these by searching for a dessert that can be easily packaged and shipped without spoiling or breaking, because I wanted to send something yummy to my friend, Tina while she studies for the bar exam.  The soft, chewy interior of the cookie makes it a good candidate.  And I found such a genius way to package and ship that I want to share with you!

I took an empty Trader Joe's coffee can and took a sheet of bubble wrap, cut it to the height of the can and wrapped the inside of the can with it.  I cut out a little circle of bubble wrap and placed it in the bottom.

Then, I cut a piece of parchment paper (one my favorite things on earth) and wrapped that layer on top of the bubble wrap.

Finally, I stacked about a dozen or so cookies in the narrow column left in the center of the can.  I placed another round of bubble wrap on top and sealed the can with the plastic top.  I am lucky that the cookies were just the right size for the center column that was formed in the can.

To ship it, I wrapped the outside of the can with more bubble wrap and placed in a box that was padded with scrunched up newspapers.  I should have taken pictures but hopefully you get the idea.  The great thing is that the can is very lightweight and doesn't add a lot more weight to the gift.

I am happy to say that Tina received the cookies and she and her family enjoyed them.  Not one was broken and the flavor was great.  They did very well over a three day journey from LA to Orlando.

Do you have a favorite treat to give and/or send as gifts?  Any other hints for packaging perishable food items?  If so, I'd love to hear about it here!  Feel free to share with my readers.

Chow for now! :)
http://www.chowfornowchef.com

Me love cookie!

Yes, as an homage to Cookie Monster and to national Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (thanks @Foodista !) I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies.  I scoured the internet yesterday looking for "the best" chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I've made the Nestle's Toll House, the Neiman Marcus and the Joy of Cooking recipes, but this time I decided to try one of The Food Network's experts: Alton Brown.  He is the mad scientist of the channel, teaching all of his followers why food works the way it does.  If he doesn't know how to make the best chocolate chip cookie, I don't know who would!

His recipe was different from others for a few reasons.  One - he uses melted unsalted butter instead of room temperature butter (which dissolves the sugar while creaming it, making a smoother batter), and he uses bread flour which makes a chewier cookie.  Also, as the recipe recommended, I placed the mixing bowl with batter in the freezer for 5 minutes before spooning the cookies on the tray.  I imagine this is to help keep the cookies from spreading to wide while baking.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 three inch cookies
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After making these myself, the results are in... this may just be the best chocolate chip cookie out there! It's sweet but not too sweet, they are chewy but still have crunch on the outside.  They are versatile enough that I could have added nuts and I am sure they would have come out great.  I'm certainly not going to say no to another cookie offered to me, but I think I'll stick with this recipe in the future.

Do you have a go to recipe for cookies?  Do you eat cookie dough raw? Please feel free to share your cookie stories here!

Chow for now!  :)