Baking People Happy

I am about to proclaim a bold statement, but just take my word for it. Take my word and read on, there might even be something in it for you!

Geoff & Drew's a local gourmet cookie & brownie company bakes hands down some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. Hands.down. On a frigid Thursday evening I gathered with 1o other bloggers/friends and Chief Cookie Girl/President Carol Spickler at Clover Food Lab in Harvard Square to taste the award winning "Tiffany"/"Rolex" of cookies. Conceptualized in 2001 as "Late Night Cookies" Carol and her two best friends, Geoff and Drew offered a cookie & milk delivery service to Boston residents, catering largely to the college student population. Renamed to Geoff & Drew's in 2003 they've put their heart and and soul into the company, baking cookies ever since. They gained popularity after a spread in Gourmet Magazine and much notoriety including writes ups in the NY and LA Times and a stint on the Today Show. Cookies this good deserve to be nationally recognized and I'm telling you they live up to the hype. The company headquarters is based in Malden, MA where they pride themselves on being not just a bakery, but a high quality gift company. You will not find these cookies sold in grocery store chains or retail of any type. Geoff & Drew's maintains freshly baked to order goods that come packaged in charming gift boxes. They were un-packaged before our very eyes to taste to our hearts content. The Brownie types range from their signature chocolate, to mini M&M's, to a toffee brownie, to a unanimous crowd pleaser; the peppermint brownie. Gooey fudge wrapped around a thick mound of soft peppermint, we could barely contain our excitement. But the real star of this show were the cookies. Slightly crunchy on the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, sweet uninterrupted flavors of gourmet chocolates, buttery goodness and pure bourbon vanilla delighted. Sheer bliss comes in the form of the White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie, followed by a sinfully delicious Double Fudge Chunk. The cookies embody a freshness and quality that surpass any cookie I have tasted as of late. I've decided I need to order more stat and keep a gift-to-myself-box in reach at all times.
I washed my cookies down with Clover's Hot Mulled Cider ($2). I know milk would have probably been better suited, but this was perfect considering the 25* temperatures outside left a lingering chill. Elizabeth was smart to organize the event at Clover (the infamous vegan food truck turned fast food joint) as it provided a relaxed and bright setting where we were able to sprawl out at the large communal table. We enjoyed our cookies next to a tree that the owner actually cut down himself at a local New England Christmas tree farm.
To get in on the cookie action yourself, purchase a last minute gift for uncle whats his name, or forgo your own version of baked goods at the office holiday party, Geoff & Drew's is offering readers 20% off using code BLOG20. See, told you there was something in it for you!

I Baked

I kept it simple and made these chocolate chip cookies. No, I don't have my own recipe I've been baking since I was five, so I just steal recipes from those who do. Baking is a rare occurence in my kitchen. In preparation for my upcoming field trip to King Arthur Flour, I decided to pull out the flour, sugar, eggs, measuring cup and spoons and get to baking. Originally, I wanted to make my favorite fall treat: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies. I couldn't find pumpkin puree anywhere. It wasn't avalible online via Stop & Shop Peapod, it wasn't at my local grocer The Golden Goose, and to top it off, my venture to the Foodmaster in Charlestown on my lunch break only lead me to shelves void of pumpkin puree. What gives?! I learned from a Foodmaster employee that it will not be present on the shelves of any grocery store anytime soon. While normally there is a surpluss keeping shelves full throughout the year, all the rain we experienced last summer caused severe damage to the Pumpkin crops leaving no puree whatsoever in excess. (picture source)I had no idea it was that bad! What a travesty, not only for fall baking, but especially for those poor farmers. I switched gears to good old chocolate chip. As a result, there are a few extra ingredients pictured necessary for the pumpkin cookies but not the regulars. Oh and for the record I actually had King Arthur Flour in my cabinet, it was not purchased specifically for this venture in baking. I am not sure why I have bread flour as opposed to all purpose flour. I've never baked bread and I have no idea if I can bake cookies with bread flour (technically I had 1 cup all purpose, it was the last of an unpictured bag) but here goes nothing. The list:

2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened (2 sticks) If Jenna says 2 sticks, she means 2 sticks!
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Since I couldn't make Pumpkin Cookies, I opened a bottle of the next best thing. Pumpkin Beer! Blue Moon Fall seasonal Harvest Moon is brewed with the flavors of vine ripened pumpkin. Notes of clove and nutmeg provide a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, copper-orange Pumpkin Ale. Now where was I....

1) Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2) Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the vanilla and mix gently to combine.3) Add the flour to the butter and mix. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about twelve minutes, or until golden.

I got mini chocolate chips on accident too. It happens. Since I had mini chips I decided to make monster cookies.

I don't own Silpat and I don't have parchment paper. I sprayed the cookie sheets with Pam.

This makes me laugh. I think I was on beer #2 but that's no excuse. bahaha.

In happier times (with no squished monster cookie) success!These are scary big. But as it turns out, you can bake cookies with bread flour. Perhaps this Saturday at KAF I will learn the difference in flour types. Cookies for dinner.

Cookies for breakfast.

Cookies for co-workers.

Cookies for road trips!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Catherine gave me this recipe last winter. She guaranteed that these cookies would be perfect every single time. She did not lie. Like Shane's Blondie recipe this is my go to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I made these on many Tuesday nights while watching Fringe. (Great show by the way!) I'm not sure where this recipe originated but I have seen it on numerous blogs and recognized it as having the same title as the one given to me. If this is your recipe please let me know so I can add a link to the original post, you certainly deserve recognition!





Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 18


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.