On August 19, I informed you all that I’d be hosting a chocolate chip cookie bakeoff – the first of its kind on CookingDevushki! We had a blast! 8 different cookie recipes were brought to the bakeoff party, lovingly baked exactly as the original recipes required. Friends and teammates all gathered together to taste the amazing cooking creations, and I have come to you today, dear readers, to present you with our very official findings!
The contenders:
Top Row:
#1 – Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Smitten Kitchen
#2 – Pudding Cookies from Sunday Baker
#3 – Jennie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jennie Perillo
#4 – Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Baking Illustrated
Bottom Row:
#5 – Coleen’s Soft Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (from All Recipes)
#6 – The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
#7 – Jessica’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Betty Crocker)
#8 – Liz’s Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
The method:
We used a very scientific method for rating our favorite cookies. Each person received a scorecard in order to rate each cookie on “Chocolate Chip Cookie Excellence.” Each cookie was rated on things like “chip to cookie ratio,” “crispy/chewy factor,” and “visual appeal.” In the end, everyone chose their favorite and explained why. We had a lot of fun!
The results:
By far, the top 2 favorites were The New York Times chocolate chip cookie, and Jessica’s adaptation of the Betty Crocker recipe. Both were EXCELLENT cookies. When I think of a gourmet chocolate chip cookie that I’d get at a gourmet cookie shop…these are what I would think of. One note on the NYT cookie – some people liked the addition of a sprinkle of course salt on top…some people thought it was too much. You can make your choice and bake accordingly! :-)
2nd in popularity were Jennie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. We felt that the addition of molasses made these cookies the perfect chocolate chip cookie for Fall.
Although the adults weren’t too fond of the Pudding Cookies, these were by far the favorite of all 3 kiddos in attendance. They were more cakey than chewy. So – if you have kids – or if you like more cake-like cookies for texture – these are probably the ones for you!
The Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Smitten Kitchen were, shall I say…different. But not in a bad way! They were extremely chewy and very flat! They didn’t LOOK that great…but I thought they tasted amazing! Even if I was still chewing after 5 minutes into my first bite. Kidding!
The Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies from Baking Illustrated turned out kind of crunchy. However, this could have been a baking anomaly caused by leaving them in the oven a tad too long. I’d like to encourage all bakers to try this recipe because it really looks good! And if you like your cookies crunchy, rather than chewy, don’t forget to leave them in the oven a tad longer. They’ll be perfect!
Liz’s Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coleen’s Soft Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies were in a category all their own! When you are searching for a cookie that is a little something more than just “plain ‘ol chocolate chip,” these will fit the bill perfectly!
