Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Presidential Chocolate Chip Cookies


Surely a glass of milk and these chocolate chip cookies made the tough business of running a country a little bit easier! This chocolate chip cookie recipe is from Roland Mesnier, former White House Executive Pastry Chef- he baked for five different U.S. Presidents over the course of over 25 years. I found this recipe in my University's alumni magazine several years ago, and I pull it out from time to time when I want something a little different than my "go-to" recipe for chocolate chip cookies. The molasses in this cookie makes it wonderfully chewy and gives it a complex flavor. Enjoy this presidential perk without any of the strings attached!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups plus 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
  •  Mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, molasses and vanilla extract.
  • Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir just until incorporated.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  • Chill dough for at least one hour. (Dough can be made the day before you want to bake.)
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (The high temp. browns the outside of the cookie while keeping the inside moist and gooey.)
  • On a parchment covered baking sheet, drop dough by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake just until light golden, for 8-10 minutes. (Do not overbake! They will become over-brown on the outside and dry on the inside.)
  • Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely. They will keep fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
  • Makes about 70 cookies*
  • * Don't want that many cookies at one time? Dough balls can be individually frozen (before baking) and kept in a container in the freezer for baking at a later time. (Up to 1 month) When you want to bake the frozen cookies, let them stand at room temp. for 30 minutes and then bake as directed.


14 comments:

  1. That looks like my kind of cookie! The molasses addition is really interesting. I like 'em crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Mesnier has several cookbooks...but I haven't seen any of them. Must look into that!

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  2. Yummy! 70 cookies! I'll look out for his cookbook. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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  3. While definitely created by the white house pastry chef, I believe that even though the man was tasked with feeding the president, they are not the best chocolate chip cookies EVAR. The president is a person, just like you or me, and unless he is very picky, any home baked treat would do.

    I have to try them, though. Really. Molasses sounds interesting. I look at cooking in the same way I look at math. Knowing other people's theorems is only useful because you realize what is capable with the science that you are using. For cooking, knowing people's recipes is only useful for knowing what is capable with the science of cooking. This mindset, I think, makes new discoveries much easier.

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  4. I love chewy cookies so this recipe is perfect for me!

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  5. Your picture has me seriously drooling! These cookies look fantastic. And if they are president-worthy then they must be good!

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  6. 70 cookies! That is right up my alley. They look delicious and I want to check out Mesnier's cookbook. I will be stopping by your nice blog again!

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  7. The use of molasses has me really intrigued. The cookies look wonderful and I'll try the recipe when my grandsons visit this August. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  8. Presidential chef...wouldn't that be a fun job?! :) I suppose making these cookies would be something like good practice...any excuse to bake I suppose :)

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  9. What a very cool recipe! Hmmm... now I like this idea of 70 cookies... whatever will I do with so many ... ;)
    *kisses* HH

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  10. These cookies look AMAZING!!! I'm bookmarking this recipe.

    By the way, there's a surprise for you on my latest post!!! Check it out!

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  11. Very cool recipe! Now I can eat what US president has? Awesome!

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  12. molasses, eh? that's sneaky! i like how flat and chewy these look--if i wanted something cakey, i'd eat cake. :)

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  13. Chocolate chip cookies are my #1 all-time favorite cookie and I'm always looking for new recipes. I'm bookmarking this!

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Thanks for stopping by scrambled hen fruit! I appreciate all of your comments and look forward to reading them.

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