My first blog post and I'm sharing a recipe for what I think is one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made..."The Doubletree Cookie"
If you've ever been to The Doubletree Hotel, they have this cookie... this warm chocolatey cookie, that's wrapped in a waxed paper bag with the words "The Cookie" written on it. It is a welcome cookie. And what better way to welcome someone than with a chocolate treat. This cookie will make you overlook additional charges, clogged sinks, bug infestations, and a host of other crap that happens when you check in.
Not that this was EVER my experience at a #Doubletree. I'm just saying, If I ever happened to check into a seedy no-tell motel for some unexplainable reason, and they gave me this cookie at the front desk, I would forget about a lot of wrong things going on at that hotel. You know what I mean?
I'm a hobby baker, and this recipe was a breeze...
Don't be intimidated by the ingredients and measurements. The recipe is pretty forgiving if you add a tad too much brown sugar or flour. However, if you really want to get serious about baking ...invest in a small kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients. When I follow other bloggers and home chefs, I use measuring cups because chances are that's what they use when developing recipes. Recipes like the doubletree cookie recipe are made in huge batches in commercial kitchens, so they use scales to measure out ingredients perfectly.
Alright, enough blogger gabbing. I know how some of you are with the novels before the recipe. I am going to type out the recipe as written on the official "Doubletree Website" then suggest my minimal substitutions. I have been baking for years so I know what works for my palate. The #recipe is pretty much perfect as is so you do not have to substitute any ingredients at all unless you are sensitive to some of the ingredients. I believe the method for how the ingredients are incorporated is the most important to avoid over-mixing the cookie dough. Pay special attention to the mixing times and instructions.
Makes 26 cookies
1/2 pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice blending with the mixer on low for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon blending for 45 seconds. Don't overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about an hour.
My Substitutions
1 stick salted butter / 1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
As a hobby baker I know that most baking recipes call for unsalted butter, then call for salt to be added to the recipe. It is not specified in the recipe whether or not to use salted or unsalted butter. I like a good balance of salt in my baking. I can always omit or lessen the additional salt but I like the salt to be present, especially in cookies and brownies.
I always do a combination of salted and unsalted butter in my cookies. I bake regularly so I keep both on hand. This method adds the fat and salt. The best way to be sure your batter has enough salt, is to "slightly" taste your cookie dough. Not a spoonful. Just the tip of a tooth bite on your tongue.
I also added a "titch" (as my dear friend Isabell calls a pinch) more vanilla to the cookie dough. I really like the warm notes of vanilla in chocolate chip cookies. I make sure to use good quality vanilla so that true vanilla flavor comes out. If real vanilla extract is too expensive (which it is most of the time) use mexican vanilla. It's inexpensive but really delicious. If you have to use imitation vanilla I would go the full 2 teaspoons to get the flavor.
There is a very small amount of cinnamon added to the recipe. I added 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon. If you don't have a 1/8 teaspoon, fill up half of a 1/4 teaspoon. If you're confident in your pinching measurements...pinch away.
Notes
My normal cookie recipe results in a thick, soft cookie, sort of like the Levain Bakery Cookie. It resembles a crispy biscuit on the outside, but is soft and gooey inside. I normally prepare my dough ahead of time and freeze it. I bake my cookies at a high temperature of 400 degrees, while the Doubletree cookies bake at a low 300.
The one thing I noticed is that the bottoms of the Doubletree cookies are always perfect. This bake time and low temperature pairing took some serious consideration, and parchment paper is key so your bottoms do not burn.
The Doubletree cookie dough sets up nicely on the baking sheet without having to be chilled first. It was pretty warm in my kitchen so in between batches I put the dough in the refrigerator to chill a bit. The dough does spread once it gets in the oven, so the 2 inch space between cookie drops is absolutely necessary.
To keep your dough from spreading too much, don't let your butter get too warm. The surface should slightly give into pressure from your finger. I let my butter sit out for about ~30 minutes, then I cut my butter into cubes, before adding it to the mixer.
I've seen bloggers pulse the oatmeal and the walnuts. I left everything as is. I didn't want to stray too far from the original recipe. I feel the texture of finely pulsed oats and walnuts would change the consistency of the cookie dough. I could be wrong, but using whole oats makes a difference in the texture of the baked cookie.
As for the amount of chocolate chips just use the whole bag. And don't be afraid to use a different brand of chocolate. Nestle makes a decent chocolate chip but experiment with other quality brands if you can. I learned that from the homie Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Recipe.
Results
The cookie is absolutely delicious. It is crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I put the leftovers in an airtight container and left them in the microwave. They were excellent the second day. The semi sweet chocolate chips and the salt balances out the sweetness from the two sugars. You can taste that vanilla, and surprisingly with such a small amount added, you pick up that hint of cinnamon.
You can barely taste the oatmeal, but you get that slight crunch from it. The walnuts compliment the crispiness of the cookie well. If you put the cookie in the microwave for about ~7 seconds, the chocolate chips get all melty and the cookie becomes soft and chewy. It is a perfect cookie recipe. Thank You DoubleTree For Sharing!