I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but I do like cookies. They are right behind ice cream on my small list of sweet indulgences.
American-style cookies are not unknown in Germany. You can find them in most supermarkets, but the selection is usually small and often limited to chocolate chip…and those are more like Chips Ahoy than Otis Spunkmeyer.
So I have adapted the recipes that I had to German ingredients and measurements, plus I have developed a few more that we really enjoy. Some are still works-in-progress.
I will openly admit that none of my cookie recipes are 100% original. I have taken bits and pieces from various recipes around the web and, with a bit of science, tweaked them into what I wanted.
Speaking of the science of cookies, J. Kenji López-Alt over at Serious Eats has an amazing write-up on The Science of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. As the title suggests, he discusses how the quantities and preparation of the ingredients produces various styles of cookie. So, whether your preference is light and cakey cookies, or dense and chewy cookies, it is worth reading his article to find out how to tweak your cookies to your liking.
Anyway, some tips for making cookies:
- Let all ingredients come to room temperature before mixing. This means taking eggs and butter out of the fridge for a couple hours before starting.
- Make the dough the night before and let it chill in the fridge. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much, and also improves flavor. (read the article from J. Kenji López-Alt on why)
- Get a portioning scoop (DE / US). This is basically an ice cream scoop with a lever for ejecting the dough. This helps insure uniform sized cookies. I use a 40mm / 1.5Tbsp scoop.
- Use a parchment liner on the baking sheets. This makes for easier removal from the baking sheet, as well as quicker cleanup.
And now for the recipes.
Chocolate Chip – these are fairly traditional chocolate chip cookies; not very different from the classic Nestlé Toll House recipe.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip – these are rich chocolate cookies with chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Cranberry – these are very similar to the chocolate chip cookies, only with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Ginger Molasses – these are soft, chewy cookies that taste like gingerbread. One of my favorite cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin – these are classically soft and chewy cookies with oatmeal and raisins.
Sugar Cookies – this recipe is a basic sugar cookie recipe, with variations for snickerdoodles and rainbow cookies. This is not an appropriate recipe for traditional Christmas sugar cookies.
As I develop more cookie recipes, I will add them to the list.
Enjoy!
