[NightPhoenix]

Greetings all,

Ok, I've been looking for a number of years for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is at least similar to a cookie I used to get at a bakery in a tourist town. (the bakery is now defunct with a new owner who turned it into an upscale restaurant, and no, they don't sell those cookies). Anyways, the cookies they used to have there were fairly large in size. Maybe 4 or 5 inches across....very THICK...(dome shaped), dark in color...not the typical American style Chocolate Chip Cookie color...the texture was what I would term as "dense" yet they were "soft"...not crunchy, crispy style. Yet not overly soft like eating a piece of cake or bread. They were not airy either. They had a distinct flavor that I've never been able to put my finger on...a number of this bakeries goods had this flavor....it was not overpowering though, very very subtle. Maybe a slight "gingerbread man" flavor....but I'm not sure. It was not a strong molasses flavor.

Any ideas or recipes that you know of that might begin to approach this cookie? I've never had a cookie like it before or sense and they were delicious. I spent years trying to "reproduce" a CCC recipe i grew up eating as a kid, and have come pretty darn close...and it has become my standard cookie. But if I could get something like this cookie I'm describing, it would be a tough choice.

Any ideas about recipes, or what to look for in a recipe that might be useful would be appreciated, and a lot of fun. But frankly with this one I have no idea where to begin it was so unusual, but delicious.

Thanks

[petalsandcoco]

I don't know if this is the type of cookie you are looking for but it is very moist and full of flavor.


Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies (very dense)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
350 oven, grease cookie sheet

1. Place bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and butter in a double boiler over hot water. Heat ,until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in flour and baking powder until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and ginger.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the edges are firm and the tops of the cookies lose most of their shine and are set, 8 to 10 minutes.

Petals

[NightPhoenix]

Wow! That looks like an interesting recipe. I'm not sure it's exactly what I'm thinking of though. As the cookie I was describing definitely did not have chocolate in the dough itself. (or if it did it was such a small amount as to not be noticeable) Although as I said they were "dark" in color, like the color of dark brown sugar, (maybe a little lighter in color than that, but not the color of "light brown sugar") however they didn't really have a strong molasses flavor like using all dark brown sugar can have. Like I said, it was probably the most unusual CCC I've ever had, but it had all the "taste" of a "proper" Chocolate Chip Cookie. They weren't of the "chewy" type, but they weren't crisp, crunchy, either. Dense, crumbly, but soft and a little moist. Yeah, seems kind of impossible but that's what they were.

However that recipe looks very appealing because I know someone who LOVES ginger and chocolate so I might have to give that a try.

[NightPhoenix]

Ok, I did some googling in the "images" category and typed in a description of the style of cookie I was looking for...and this link is the closest I came to finding what these cookies pretty much looked like it. Since I can't post links yet, if you google "city bakery chocolate chip cookie" in the IMAGES search it will be the 4th picture from left to right.

Anyways, that's pretty close to what these cookies I'm thinking of looked like, though it's not "exactly" the same. I did some research on the "City Bakery" in NYC where those cookies are made and see they opened in 1990...I believe this recipe I'm talking about goes back much further than that as the bakery they were sold in had been around since I believe the 60's. (maybe even longer) Having never been to NYC and have no clue as to what those City bakery cookies taste like, I have no idea if they are similar or very different. And a few reviews talk about them being "very buttery" and almost "underdone", if the reviews are accurate that's NOT the cookie I'm thinking of at all. (these were quite done, never the gooey type cookie at all) However just from the LOOKS of that picture it's the closest match I've ever seen as far as looks are concerned. Ah, it's probably hopeless but it will be fun trying none the less.

[LuvPie]

Love to help you but I have no idea.
My thought is to go there, find businesses that were around when it was around and ask those people if any of them ever ate there, if so, did they remember those cookies. Their taste buds may have a better memory than yours. Guess it's worth a try anyway ,that's what I'd do.
Without me eating them it's a shot in the dark as to the contents.
Molassas can produce a softer cookie almost chewy and the inclusion of it couldn't hurt to a cookie you make larger using partially that recipe on top.
I see more posts made but my fingers hurt from typing so I'm hitting submit anyway

[Mezzaluna]

NightPhoenix, please check your private messages.

[leftylu78]

I just read ur post and I may have 2 solutions for you. One, I would take a classic chocolate chip recipe and a gingersnap recipe and then combine the 2 doughs to create one dough. Two, if you're going to use a standard recipe for chocolate chip cookies and want to play around, I would use muscovado sugar instead of regular sugar. There is light and dark muscovado. I would use half and half and add some fresh grated ginger to the dough. Also, ground coffee works really well in the dough and adds a deeper, speckled color. Plus it enhances the chocolate flavor. Good luck! If you want specific recipes for either chocolate chip or gingersnap cookies, please let me know and I can email them to you. Enjoy!

[LuvPie]

NOW that sounds delicious I'll have to do that myself I love gingersnaps- almost as I love hot gingerbread cake with warm lemon sauce poured over it

[panini]

I would go out on a limb and say this was a very old formula when ammonium bicarbonate was often used in small percentages. I'm old enough to remember having ccc recipes with a pinch of pepper. I just thought of this when I saw the ginger. Most ginger based recipes have ammonium bicarbonate. Go to your local bakery and ask them for a little. Be careful not to put this up to your nose to wiff.

[gonefishin]

It's really good to see that you dropped in Panini The wedding cakes in your gallery are simply stunning.


pepper in chocolate cookies? I would have never thought of that??? I wonder.....


best wishes,
dan

[LuvPie]

A lot of pepper goes into my
pfefferneuse cookies, actually way more than called
for, black and white pepper, really gives the cookie zip

[NightPhoenix]

Hmm...pepper? I don't remember these cookies really having any sort of "bite" to them at all, and I've always been pretty sensitive to any sort of spice. (now I cannot tolerate spices of any kind, not even cinnamon more than once or twice a year, yeah it stinks). But who knows, it has been a a few years since this bakery went out of business....and there was "something" in their that gave them a unique flavor (something familiar) but subtle. Indeed it was an older recipe...I'm going to try and play around with some of the suggestions here and see what I come up with..if I come close or fail horribly. But it will be fun no matter what.

[leftylu78]

Here are the recipes I promised you.

Chocolate Chip

1 # butter
2c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
4 ½ c. flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp B. S

I would change the brown sugar to the light muscovado sugar. Take out one egg and change it to one yolk. Then add 1 tsp of ground coffee ( can be flavored coffee as well, try hazelnut or toasted almond ) to your dry ingredients.

Gingersnaps

2 c. flour
1 T. ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¾ c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
¼ c. molasses

Cream shortening until soft. Add sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Form into a ball. Roll in sugar and place on greased cooky sheet.

Have fun and play around! Enjoy!

[LuvPie]

Originally Posted by leftylu78

Here are the recipes I promised you.
Chocolate Chip
1 # butter
2c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
4 ½ c. flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp B. S
I would change the brown sugar to the light muscovado sugar. Take out one egg and change it to one yolk. Then add 1 tsp of ground coffee ( can be flavored coffee as well, try hazelnut or toasted almond ) to your dry ingredients.
Gingersnaps
2 c. flour
1 T. ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¾ c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
¼ c. molasses
Cream shortening until soft. Add sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Form into a ball. Roll in sugar and place on greased cooky sheet.Have fun and play around! Enjoy!

this recipe wouldn't cure my craving for chocolate in the chocolate chip cookie recipe, because usually I add chocolate to my chocolate chip cookiesI'm just sayin

[NightPhoenix]

Wow! Once again, thank you for those recipes. It looks like I've got some experimenting to do in the coming weeks. Hopefully neighbors, family and friends are prepared for the onslaught of cookies.