Looking for unusual Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

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

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.

found a picture.......

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. :D

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. :)

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. ;)

Thanks for the recipe. Not exactly what I'm thinking of but boy, do those look GOOD! :) That looks like a fun one that I'm gonna have to try out.

Now that I can post links here are two links to pics online of what the cookies kind of looked like:

http://dessertbuzz.com/wordpress/wp-...ery-cookie.jpg

http://sugarbomber.com/wp-content/up...p-cookies1.jpg

The first one is much closer in appearance and color, but as I said I have NO idea what either of those cookies taste like, so in the end it's just a guess.

one more picture is here:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HnYemNi0ld...00/13CHIPS.jpg

while not "domed shaped" per se, that one kind of looks like the texture might be right, but again, who knows without actually tasting them...lol! (the second one looks to be more "cake like" and one thing these cookies were definitely not is "cake like" if by cake like one means they were soft and airy. More like soft (not really chewy) and slightly crumbly. (soft crumbs not hard brittle ones) And not fluffy, airy...these were kind of heavy cookies.

If I can get the texture right then I can work on the flavor (experiment with ginger, sugars etc) but as it goes I've NEVER had a CCC that had this texture to it before. It truly seems like one of a kind. Not that I'm a world traveler or anything though. :)

Anyways, all the hints, help and recipes are a great help. And I can't wait try this latest one and see exactly what it comes out like. :)

You didn't miss anything. Considering I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe, I guess he just assumed I'd add the Chocolate Chips...:D I haven't had a chance to experiment as my stupid oven is broke down and it might cost a small fortune (to me) to fix it, so I dunno what I'm gonna do. Might be cheaper in the long run just to get a new range. all I know is I want to BAKE and I can't and it's driving me crazy. :)

Thanks for trying to help me find something but I'm in Northern Wisconsin's northwoods. And our gas company stinks they wanted a BUNCH of money just to come in the door of the house. I finally found a repair man who is trying to nail down exactly what the problem is over the phone before charging me....still in the "figuring it out" phase right now. :)

BTW it's a gas oven, but not a standing pilot, it has an ignition (which is fine) just something called the thermocouple bulb which either needs to be cleaned or the whole piece replaced. But i'm talking to the repair guy later tonight....hopefully it's just a cleaning cuz that's cheap. :)

Anyways when it's resolved i'll be celebrating and posting how the "baking frenzy" that follows goes...lol!

Stove/Oven update!

Just thought I'd let everyone know my oven is FIXED!!! :)

It turned out it just needed to be cleaned after all, so it was pretty reasonable (cheaper than buying even a good used range)...so I'm back baking again! Today doing Pumpkin Bread! ;) Already did some Choc. Chip Cookies with Muscovado sugar and it definitely was the closest I've ever come to those cookies in that long gone bakery! So I'm on the right track.