Joy the Baker

I love a good weekend project, especially when that project involves my fingers in loads of cookie dough.

I’ll admit that I may be waaaay behind the times on this trick.  It’s the sort of trick that super moms have on lock to make them look even more awesome than they already are.  Since I haven’t yet produced other people with my body, this trick is just now hitting my radar.

The idea is this:  one day… (say, maybe a lazy Saturday morning) whip up a couple batches of your favorite cookie dough.  Dollop that cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, all close like.  Throw the entire cookie sheet into the freezer.  Freeze the dough balls, then throw them into a zip lock bag and back into the freezer.  You know what that means?  All you have to do is flick on the oven and throw in a few dough balls anytime you want fresh baked cookies!  Dang this livin’ is easy!

This frozen dough ball situation is key and here’s why:

You and the family can have  fresh baked cookies any and every night.

Surprise guests?  No problem at all… you just happened to be whipping up a batch of fresh cookies.  Taaadaaa!

Bake ‘em directly from frozen…. do it!

Frozen dough balls in the middle of the night?  I won’t tell a soul.  Can I be honest?  I eat the dough balls more often than I actually bake the cookies.  In fact… be right back.  Dough ball for breakfast.

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What do puppies with giant paws, foggy mornings, warm chocolate chip cookies and my bright, red spatula have in common?  That’s easy… they’re just some of my favorite things in the world.

If you hadn’t already figured it out, you guys are totally up there on my list of favorite things… right up there with puppies with giant paws.  You and your cute tea cup pictures.  You with your kind comments.  You with your thoughtful recipe questions.  I just think you’re dreamy.  I suppose that’s why it has become one of my new favorite things to give things to you… let’s do it again.

Two of you get two of my favorite things:  an express shipped box of chocolate chip cookies made by Joy the Baker (for someone here in the US), or a brand-spanking-new, colorful spatula (going international, because Customs doesn’t like when I send fresh cookies).

All you have to do to win some of my favorite things is leave me a comment telling me where you’re from, and some of your favorite things.  Seems fitting, right?

You’ve got until this Saturday April 11th at 10:38pm PST to get your comments in.  That’s when I turn back into a pumpkin and pick the winners.

Also… I like you!

If I could have a phone conversation with the New York Times Dining and Wine (as though NYTimes were a casual friend/maybe date), it would go a little something like this:

NYTimes:  (after 4 rings) Hello?

Joy:  Hey!  Oh, I didn’t think you were going to pick up.  I was expecting to leave a message.  I thought you’d be a work.

NYTimes:  You specifically called when you thought I’d be at work?

Joy:  (Awkward pause) No….. I just thought I could leave a message.

NYTimes:  Well do you want me to hang up so you can call back?  You’re being weird…

Joy:  No!…. It’s just… NYTimes, we need to talk.

NYTimes:  You know what Joy?  I’m not really in the mood for this right now.  I have to be up early tomorrow and I really don’t want to get into anything right now.

Joy: Well that’s too bad NYTimes, we need to talk right now.. It’s about your cookies.  Just listen.  Seriously.  It’s important…

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Remember, this is all in the interest of science. This chocolate chop cookie experiment has nothing to do with how delicious warm cookies are, or how I like picking at cookie dough from the fridge.

Ok, who am I kidding? This experiment is solely about how much I love cookies, whether the dough has been in the fridge for 12 hours or 36 hours.

I promised you cookie results, and here are the first two baked batches.

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We’re talking cookies, and we’re not done yet. We’re a long way from done in fact, so settle in!

In the first installment we discussed creamed versus melted butter. Thank you for all your comments. I looks like the melted butter and bread flour combination creates a very high, chewy and almost caramelish cookie. These cookies were chewy even three days after they were baked! Creaming, on the other had, produces a flatter, more buttery, traditional cookie. Both are delicious!  Just depends on your mood!

Now…

In The Cookie Debate Part One I mentioned that the NY Times had serendipitously printed an article about the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Did you read it?

We need to talk about this 36 hour rule. We need to do an experiment.

Here’s the skinny: Some of the best bakers swear that by resting their cookie dough in the fridge for 36 hours, they produce a more robust, evenly browned, altogether irresistible cookie. The science behind the concept indicated that by letting the dough rest the liquids from the eggs are fully absorbed into the flour, creating a drier and firmer dough which bakes up into the perfect consistency.

I’ll be honest. I furrow my eyebrows at this statement. I recognize that baking is about science, and how ingredients interact with one another- but baking is also about sugar, and sugar tastes good. Simple.

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