Ghirardelli Cookie Recipes

August 25, 2008

Taste Tester made some fantastic chocolate chip cookies this week. Don’t tell him I said this, but these are better than any chocolate chip cookie I’ve made (or bought) in recent memory.

He used Clementine’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Ghirardelli. If you’re wondering where the peanut butter is, these cookies don’t have any (but be patient! there’s a pb recipe below!). Though he was talking about making them with peanut butter next time around, so I’ll have to report back on that if it’s a success. What made these cookies so good was the cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and the perfect chewy texture, which was party due to the abundance of oats and the fact that he took them out of the oven at the exact right moment. Chewy, but crispy and soft in the center, they were perfect.

Did I mention they were chock full of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips? That might help too…

What’s his secret? Every time he bakes, he mixes by hand. He once stated that he suspected hand mixing lead to better results when baking, and reiterated it after this cookie experience. After eating these cookies, I’m not sure I can argue, but since I machine mix just about everything these days, it does hurt my feelings a bit! I’m not sure that “better” is the right word, but I could certainly see that the technique might lend an extra handmade touch to baked goods.

Given how great Clementine’s recipe is, I can only hope that Ghiradelli’s other cookie recipes are as good, and with that faith I would certainly be willing to give this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Recipe a try. You should too!

And the following doesn’t contain peanut butter, but I just can’t resist posting it. I went to a younger cousin’s birthday party over the weekend and below was the dessert spread. Is that the birthday dessert that dreams are made of or what?!