Bleeding Espresso

19 December 2008

la buona cucina americana: chocolate chip cookies

One of the most traditionally American foods (and one of my personal favorites) to have around the holidays are Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I have many fond memories of leaving a plate of cookies for Santa (and carrots for Rudolph!), and there was always at least two chocolate chip cookies on there–they were Santa’s favorite, I was told. My dad would film the whole thing with an old-fashioned video camera, a ridiculously bright light shining in my smiling eyes as I set the plate and a glass of milk on the bottom of the fireplace.

A couple years ago, my brother and sister-in-law had these movies put on DVDs, and what a great gift that was! I wish I knew how to put them online so you could see clips of mini-me and the cookies, but you’ll just have to imagine it.

I’m also submitting these chocolate chip cookies to Susan, the Food Blogga, for her Eat Christmas Cookies Season 2. In case you missed it, I also submitted peanut butter cookies last week. Can you tell I love me some traditional cookies? Yum!

See Susan’s round-up of Christmas cookies here.

And now without further ado, the recipe direct from my mom’s kitchen:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes about 90 cookies)

• 2 ¼ c flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

• 1 c butter
• 1tsp vanilla
• ½ c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• ½ tsp water

• 3 small eggs
• 1 12 oz. package chocolate chips
• 1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix first four ingredients together.

3. In separate bowl cream together butter, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat in eggs.

4. Add flour mixture and mix well.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if you’re using them.

6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake; take out when just turning golden brown as they will continue to cook a bit after you take them out of the oven and if they’re cooked too long they get quite hard (they are thin cookies).

8. Remove from sheets and put on cooling rack for a few minutes, if you can manage to wait.

Ricetta in italiano

• 290 g di farina
• 1 ½ cucchiaini di bicarbonato di soda
• 1 bustina di lievito per dolci con vaniglia
• 1 cucchiaino di sale

• 225 g di butter
• 105 g di zucchero
• 215 g di zucchero di canna (degli Stati Uniti or “solidal” di Coop)
• ½ cucchiaino di acqua

• 3 uova piccole
• 340 g di pepite di cioccolato

1. Preriscaldare il forno a 177°C.

2. Mescolate insieme i primi quattro ingredienti.

3. In una ciottola grande mescolate insieme il burro, gli zuccheri e l’acqua. Aggiungete le uova.

4. Aggiungete gli ingredienti secchi e mescolate bene.

5. Aggiungete le pepite di cioccolato.

6. Dal composto ottenuto, formate delle palline anche con un cucchiaino e mettetele leggermente su una piastra trattata con burro.

7. Infornare i biscotti per 10-12 minuti circa. I biscotti sono abbastanza sottile quindi state attenti che non diventano troppo dorati.

8. Lasciargli raffredare se ce la farete.

Buon appetito!

***La Buona Cucina Americana will be taking some time off for the holidays–see you in 2009!***

Related posts:

1. la buona cucina americana: insalata di patate della mamma
2. la buona cucina americana: apple pie (torta di mele)
3. la buona cucina americana: bagels
4. what’s cooking wednesday: peanut butter cookies
5. Love Thursday: Kitty Noses and Cookies

25 beans of wisdom »

25 beans of wisdom to “la buona cucina americana: chocolate chip cookies”

1. Think On It » La buona cucina americana: chocolate chip cookies on 19 Dec 2008 at 7:42 am #

   [...] more American than Apple Pie? These days it’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Michele is cooking them up in Calabria. It happens that although Nestlés chips are not sold, [...]

2. Grace on 19 Dec 2008 at 7:56 am #

   OMG they look so good. And your oven looks beautiful.

   Grace’s last blog post..Four Things Meme

   Thanks Grace; it *is* a cute little oven, I have to say

3. KC on 19 Dec 2008 at 9:10 am #

   They look mouth-wateringly good! Do you use the tiny Italian chocolate chips or do you have a stash of the big American ones?

   KC’s last blog post..Frosty

   With these in the photos I used American ones, and so long as my mom sends them, I use those…I’m a creature of habit

4. nyc/caribbean ragazza on 19 Dec 2008 at 9:40 am #

   yum, yum, yum!

   These would be perfect with a nice glass of milk or some excellent vanilla gelato.

   nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!

   Mmmmm vanilla gelato and chocolate chip cookies…I’m in!

5. Gil on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:02 am #

   Crunchy chocolate chip cookies are about my favorite. I’m the guy that was ready to bring back a bag of Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies because the cookies were under baked and mushy! Years ago I used to pick up tax info at the clients’ houses. One night I walked into one of my neighbors and smelled something out of this world and inquired. Their high school age daughter had just burned a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I said that I loved crunchy chocolate chip cookies and started eating them. What I didn’t eat they wrapped and I brought them home. I now do taxes for this girl, well young woman, and she still remembers the night I saved her baking pride.

   This weekend is supposed to be the big baking night at my house with both my daughter and daughter in law burning things..

   You’re the *best* kind of cookie monster, Gil!

6. joanne at frutto della passione on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:18 am #

   I make these EVERYWEEK I can now do them in my sleep. My son looks at me with his big brown eyes and says *Pleeeeeeeease Mommy*. I regularly swap out my tried and tested recipe for a new one, in order find the perfect cookie!

   joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..A brief history of Panettone part 2

   Wow, Joanne, forget Betty Crocker, *you* are the chocolate chip queen!

7. Judith in Umbria on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:49 am #

   If anyone cannot find chocolate chips they like, please use the correct weight of a good cioccolato fondente and chop it roughly with a chef’s knife. That’s how Toll House cookies were originally made and the chips were manufactured to save that step. It isn’t hard, folks! And then you can use the quality of chocolate you believe in and adore.

   Great tip Judith!

8. My Melange on 19 Dec 2008 at 1:17 pm #

   They look delish! Chocolate Chip is C’s favorite cookie. Hmmm…this gives me an idea, since his B-day is about 10 days away

   My Melange’s last blog post..Love Thursday: The Tattered Old

   I would *love* cookies as a gift

9. Deeba on 19 Dec 2008 at 3:42 pm #

   I love a good chocolate chip cookie & can’t get enough of them. Yours looks ever so good Michelle…scrumptious & a great entry for Susan’s. Have a great holiday season!

   Thanks Deeba; hope you have a wonderful holiday season as well

10. jen of a2eatwrite on 19 Dec 2008 at 4:48 pm #

    These are C’s favorite, and if I want to make him happy, making chocolate chip cookies will be a fast way. I think they may be the world’s most perfect cookie.

    jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday: Seven Fishes Feast Entry: Tuna-Potato Chip Casserole

    I agree Jen. I don’t think there’s a better cookie either.

11. Susan from Food Blogga on 20 Dec 2008 at 2:58 am #

    I just know Santa’s looking forward to these, Michelle!

    Susan from Food Blogga’s last blog post..Eat Christmas Cookies, Season 2 Round-Up, Part 2

    Thanks Susan

12. Sparky Duck on 20 Dec 2008 at 3:33 am #

    Hello more Christmas cookies!

    Sparky Duck’s last blog post..Christmas with Flickr-Post 2

    Can never be too many, IMHO

13. maris on 20 Dec 2008 at 4:50 pm #

    Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite – yum! Thanks for posting.

    Thank you for stopping by Maris!

14. shiborigirl on 20 Dec 2008 at 5:14 pm #

    Those pictures look delicious! I’m baking up a frenzy this week as well. Stop on by if you want to sample some.

    Merry Christmas, and enjoy your Blog Break.

    Kate

    shiborigirl’s last blog post..It’s Beginning to Smell A Lot Like Christmas

    Will be there shortly Kate; and don’t worry, I’m still blogging here for a few more days before I take a break…only the La Buona Cucina Americana recipes are taking off until next year

15. qualcosa di bello on 21 Dec 2008 at 2:00 am #

    oh, if only you could post the smell along with that baking-in-the-oven shot!!

    qualcosa di bello’s last blog post..a heavy heart…

    So true…scratch and sniff computer screens…mmmmm

16. Elra on 21 Dec 2008 at 6:10 am #

    Chocolate chip cookies always sounds so scrumptious, I really like yours because it’s thin!
    Happy holidays,
    Elra

    Elra’s last blog post..Sablés Au Citron

    Elra, I love thin cookies too…and these are actually rather chewy so long as you don’t cook them too long. YUM!!!!!!

17. It's that Time again, folks - Weekly Round Up | Yankee in a New World on 21 Dec 2008 at 10:04 am #

    [...] I am on my weakness for recipes, I have to share one from Bleeding Espresso – Chocolate Chip Cookies. YUM!! Making these today! [...]

18. Musing on 21 Dec 2008 at 2:54 pm #

    Yum me!

    Musing’s last blog post..Secret Santa Can Suck It!

    Hee hee

19. marie on 21 Dec 2008 at 4:00 pm #

    there is nothing more traditionally american than the chocolate chip cookie

    marie’s last blog post..Sunday Salon

    Agreed! Thanks for stopping by Marie!

20. Kalee on 21 Dec 2008 at 5:36 pm #

    Ooh, I love chocolate chip cookies! My husband keeps asking me to bake some cookies, so last night we made some cut out cookies to decorate.

    Kalee’s last blog post..Life Always Surprises Me

    I love decorating cookies! One of my fondest childhood memories

21. ingrid on 21 Dec 2008 at 9:07 pm #

    Yum those look delish. I love chocolate chip cookies hot right out of the oven with an icy cold glass of milk.

    My Dad filmed us and photographed us so much growing up that I don’t do it much for my children. I wish I did now that they are getting bigger.
    ~ingrid

    ingrid’s last blog post..An award….Thank you, Duckie!

    That’s funny about being photographed so much as kids…we were too, up to a point, but then there’s a big chunk of few photographs. With how many pictures I take of my dogs, I imagine I’ll be a bit obnoxious with any future children as well

22. MMA Gloves on 22 Dec 2008 at 3:56 am #

    Those look delicious, chocolate chip cookies are the best, thanks for the recipe, ill have to try it out.

    Enjoy

23. Patty on 22 Dec 2008 at 10:53 am #

    Michelle,
    I was just looking for a recipe with less sugar than mine and here I found it thank you!

    I hope you enjoy it Patty!

24. nova on 22 Dec 2008 at 7:29 pm #

    That’s it. I’m going out for chocolate chip cookies RIGHT NOW!

    nova’s last blog post..Still At It

    Mmmm have one (or five) for me please

25. Made in America - Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Flavors of Abruzzo on 23 Dec 2008 at 9:29 am #

    [...] you, but for me, Christmas isn’t the same without Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Head on over to Bleeding Espresso for Michelle’s [...]

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