Cookie Fail

Upper right cookie is the cookie fail, bottom right cookie is what color it should have been, cookie on left is my famous Gingersnap.

That's what my kids called the cookie dough my husband made last night.  DH needed to make a dessert for a potluck at work.  I suggested the very easy Chocolate Chip Cookie.  He liked that idea.  I suggested he use a large cookie scoop, so the cookies look real impressive. 

He used my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, but I was shocked by the color of his cookie dough when he asked me to come in and help him get them baking.  The dough was a chocolate brown.  I started questioning his ingredients.  Which I got a snarky reply "I know how to read."  I said, "I know you know how to read, but clearly there is something drastically wrong with your cookie dough.  It should look like this!"  I held up the rubber spatula he had used early on before things went terribly wrong with the proper colored cookie dough clinging to it.  The dough tasted fine.  OK it wasn't so terrible, but it wasn't very appetizing and with food things need to look good as well and taste good.  I could see this sad look come across his face.  The one my children get when they feel like they've made a big cooking mistake and think everything is ruined.

I found out he had put the chocolate chips and pecans in the mixer turned it to high and let it go for a few minutes.  When I went to make the Gingersnaps 30 minutes later the mixer was still hot to the touch.  I said, "Chocolate chips and pecans should be hand stirred in at the end."  He said, "The recipe should say that."  I replied dryly, "It does."  At this point I knew there was no reason for continuing this line of conversation.  He was looking defeated.  I took another tack and said, "The cookies will be fine they're just extra chocolaty.  If anyone says 'what's wrong with this cookie' snatch it away from them and say, 'thank you more for me.'"  He chuckled and we starting scooping the dough on to the cookie sheets.

I have to say they did taste fine.  They were a bit tough and they did look oddly colored.  BUT I sent him to work with 30 good sized Chocolate Chip Cookies and 20 good sized Gingersnaps.  There were only 3 cookies left.  Chocolate Chip of course.


Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 375ºF.

2. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

3. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

4. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

TIP* If nuts are omitted, add an additional 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.