I might have a problem.

I check the weather.  I sometimes watch the news… just for the weather.  I’m obsessed with the weather.

See… if it’s raining then I can’t go for a bike ride.  If I can’t go for a bike ride then I have to find some sort of other exercise to do to keep my crazy brain from going crazy.  If I can’t find another exercise to do then I just end up doing halfass yoga in my living room for like… three minutes, before I get bored.  If I get bored then I start plucking my eyebrows and trying on random lipsticks in my medicine cabinet.  If I try on too many lipsticks I walk around my house looking like a lady of the night (you know…), and I really hate when that happens.

… Then the day is over and all I have to show for it is smeared lipstick on my face, the wine I’m drinking in despair, my cat, and episodes of Top Chef and Teen Mom 2.   See what I’m dealing with here?

I checked the weather for tomorrow.  The weather icons show a sun (promising), clouds (uh-oh), rain drops (craptown) and a thunderbolt (oh, come on!).  Seriously?!  Who is in charge here?

What am I supposed to do with that!?  LipstickWineCatlady is soooo not a good look for me.

One of the other things I do on rainy days (besides being a crazy cat lady) is make cookies.

Let’s be honest… I make cookies almost every day.  I need no excuse or water from the sky.

These are just like chocolate chip cookies with white chocolate and spiked with instant espresso powder.  Are you with me?

Do you use instant espresso powder?  I love it in baking.  Instant espresso powder really kicks up the flavor in a chocolate recipe and it’s a great way to sneak in a coffee flavor without crunching down on ground coffee beans.  The finer the instant espresso powder is the easier it will dissolve into the cookies.  I used a slightly chunkier instant powder and so my cookies had tiny bits of coffee.  I loved it.  Close your eyes and pretend that the white chocolate chunks are the cream in your cappuccino.  Yea.  Good.

When I move to a new living space, everything is unfamiliar.  Duh.

I walk into the closet instead of the bathroom.  I reach for the dishwasher when I should be checking on the cookies in the oven.  I stub my toes on the coffee table… a lot.  The sound of the mailman dropping letters in the box is startling.

Soon enough… all of these new home quirks will settle and disappear.

I thought the best way to counteract the newness was to fill my new home with the smell of something entirely familiar:  chocolate chip cookies.

It worked.  I only stubbed my toe on the coffee table twice instead of thrice.

Ps…. Maybe this entire post was just an excuse to work the word ‘thrice’ onto my blog. Hmmm…  think on that.

By now you probably know that I can’t leave well enough alone.

I wouldn’t just make plain old chocolate chip cookies and dump them in your lap.

See, I’m calling these Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies because I’ve made my own brown sugar and added a good, hearty load of dark, unsulphured molasses.  It’s sexy.  Seriously.

I also used melted butter (instead of the traditional softened butter) and bread flour (instead of all-purpose flour).  This combination comes from Alton Brown.  He knows a thing or two.  The higher gluten content in bread flour helps keep the cookie in control.  Buuuut… the loads of molasses keep this cookie well browned and fairly flat.  Keep that in mind.  These flat cookies.are.delicious.

Intermission…

I found this photo during my move last week.  It was taken by my father in 1982.  It seems to be the very beginning of food blogging.

End Intermission.

These slender little cookies bring loads of flavor.  They’re deep.  They’re caramely.  They’re packed with dark chocolate chunks and topped with just a sprinkling of sea salt.  What more do you want?  Yeesh.

In the background there is my front door.  I’ll give you the home (and kitchen) tour soon.

I’m twenty nine years old.  I’m an adult.  I pay my bills.  I do my taxes.  I go to jury duty.  I stand in line at the post office without heavy sighs.  I floss too!  I totally floss.

And yet.  Somehow.  I thought it would be ok… not just ok, but reasonable… not just reasonable… but a good idea to make chocolate chip cookie dough, freeze it and then dip the balls in melted chocolate.

Now I have a  freezer full of giant cookie dough balls dipped in chocolate and I’m panicking.  I need an adult.  I’m about to eat cookie dough for lunch, cookie dough for dinner, cookie dough for dessert, and then cookie dough again for second dinner.

Incidentally, if the blatant consumption of raw sugar and butter offends your sensibilities, perhaps you might be better suited with these Blueberry Applesauce Muffins or Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread.  And you’ll have to accept my sincere apologies for the ridiculousness of frozen cookie. and chocolate.  together.  forever.

Raw cookie dough.  Sooo dang good.

Now before anyone starts yelling about raw eggs and poison and disease, let me assure you that this dough has no raw eggs in it.  Instead, I used Greek yogurt as the binder.  You might also use applesauce or peanut butter if you don’t have thick yogurt on hand.

Here’s how this happened.  I made eggless cookie dough, scooped it up in generous portions on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet, stuck cute plastic forks in the dough and froze those suckers overnight.  The next morning I melted down some chocolate chips, dipped the frozen dough balls and returned them to the freezer.  Serve them right from the freezer… It’s sort of the best thing ever.

Now if you’ll excuse me… I can hear someone calling my name from the freezer.  It must be these dough balls.  It would be rude not to respond.

I’m full of all sorts of good ideas.

Like… the good idea I had to cream two stick of butter with two cups of sugar.

Like… the good idea I had to add eggs and vanilla extract.

Like the awesome idea I had to add oats and flour and spices.

And chocolate.  That was totally a good idea.

Putting chunks of dough in the oven?  Also a great idea.

Yea… I was on a good idea roll.

The best idea ever?  Putting these warm cookies in my mouth and calling it dinner.  Excellent.

Just thought I would share my good ideas with you.  Yea… I’m kind of a show off.

I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite cookie.  I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here…. I’m just trying to coax good cookies out of my oven.

These cookies are soft and hearty.  I like using old fashioned oats because they add all sorts of body to the cookie dough.  It’s also nice to use the best chocolate you can get your hands on.  It just makes life better.  These cookies bake up soft, slightly chewy, with a depth of sweetness and a hint of spice.  They’re sort of my version of a granola bar… but really, I know better.  Yum.  Seriously.

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.

Full disclosure:  I’ve eaten three cookie dough balls in the writing of this post.  I’m not done yet.

You might also try these recipes for you cookie dough freezing pleasure:

Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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…

Joy: (continued)  I like that you like food.  I can tell that you’re totally into it.  That’s cool…  It really is.  But you know what? Sometimes a cookie is just a cookie.  (Pause)  Sometimes we should let a cookie just be a cookie.

Don’t get me wrong- I really like that you like to sprinkle sea salt on top of cookie dough.  That’s respectable, and has a certain amount of charm.  I’m not talking about that… I’m talking about this 36 hour rule for resting cookie dough.  You know what?  I’m going to say something that I don’t think anyone else will say to your face…

NYTimes:  (interrupting)  We aren’t face to face.  This is over the phone.  And this is an imaginary conversation. And I’m the NYTimes, so I don’t have a face.

Joy: Ok.. you know what?  That’s not the point, and don’t interrupt me.   Your 36 hour rule- I don’t buy it.  I’m not in.  In fact- I’m out.  Why?  Well to be honest, I couldn’t taste a difference.  The 24 hour and 36 hour batched baked up slightly darker than the 12 hour batch, but I couldn’t decipher a taste difference.  In fact, I didn’t find any difference at all between the 24 and 36 hour batches.  I mean… come on… for the average person, eating a warm cookie from the oven is treat enough.  Why even suggest that they wait 36 hours to bake up the dough?  Who has that kind of time NYTimes.  Seriously!?

NYTimes:  (impatiently)   Well what do you want me to do?

Joy:  Well I don’t know what you can do.  What’s printed is printed, right?  I just wanted to call and talk to you so that you know that I know that sometimes you come up with some snotty cooking crap.  Sometimes you take something as friendly, straightforward, and approachable as a chocolate chip cookie and you put it on a pedestal and talk about things like depth of flavor and flavor profiles and crumb… and geez!  Can’t a cookie just be a cookie?

NYTimes:  You’re yelling…

Joy:  I’m not yelling!  I’m just being passionate.  I’m just saying that I’m on to you.  I did the experiment myself, and a cookie is a cookie at 12 hours, 24 hours and 36 hours.  A damn good, all -American cookie, that’s what is it.

Now, I don’t mean to be harsh.  I just had to get that off my chest.  Would you please put Mark Bittman on the phone?  I like him.

NYTimes:  Joy, you’re odd.

Joy:  I know.  Bittman please.

After much trial and refridgeration.  I’ve found these to be my two favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The Chewy, with melted butter and bread flour, from Alton Brown.

The Buttery, with creamed butter and salted peanuts or cashews, from Elizabeth Faulkner.

I chill each dough for at least 4 hours before baking.  Of course, refrigerate the dough for up to 36 hours if you like.  I’ll create an evenly golden cookie, with all the goodness that is the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.

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.

The constants for our cookie experiment were as follows:

Oven at 350 degrees F

Baking time of 13 minutes

Half sheet baking pan lined with parchment

1 Tablespoon of cookie dough

4 cookies per sheet

The variable for our cookie experiment is cookie dough refrigerated for varying times: 12, 24, and 36 hours.

Above we have chocolate chip cookies baked after 12 hours of refrigeration.

Below we have chocolate chip cookies baked after 24 hours of refrigeration.

What’s the big difference? Well, friends… there’s no huge earth shattering difference.

The 12 hour batch came out lighter, with a slightly underdone center. The edges had a light crunch and the center was that incredible half cooked dough center. Incredible! Of course!

The 24 hour batch came out a more caramel color. The cookies came out more evenly baked, and lacked that doughy center. The edges were just slightly more crisp. A taste difference? I have to be honest, maybe my palette isn’t refined enough, but I didn’t taste any significant difference. It was an incredible cookie, and I suppose that’s what is important.

What do you think? Can you see a difference?

The 36 hour batch is in the works, I just wanted to update you on our results so far.

Let’s review. Above- 12 hours Below- 24 hours

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.

In the name of both science and sugar, I’ve made a batch of cookie dough and I’m going to bake them off at 12 hours, 24 hours and 36 hours. Together we’ll see the difference. We’ll get to the bottom of this. And what a delicious experiment it will be!

I used Demolition Dessert’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It’s has straightforward ratios. It’s creamed butter, white sugar and brown, and chocolate, of course.

Let the waiting and baking begin. Only 12 hours until the first batch!

Thanks for playing along!