As long as I've been in a relationship with Tim, my womanhood has felt slightly threatened. Here's why: he's a FANTASTIC baker! Although there are a few things that I like to bake (simple things, like cake-mix bundt cake and cake-mix cookies), he's really the baker of the household. He delights us with sweet treats every week or two, and he can even make chocolate chip cookies (really GOOD chocolate chip cookies) without having to follow a recipe.
So naturally, I've felt a little displaced, because isn't the wife supposed to be the one who makes the beautiful, scrumptious cookies? Unfortunately, for as long as we've been married, whenever I try to bake chocolate chip cookies, they ALWAYS spread thin on the baking sheet and get overly darkened edges. Tim lovingly refers to them as my "cow flop cookies." Really, they're just so sad-looking. I don't know why, but it always happens.
The other night, in an effort to reassert my supposedly innate feminine ability to bake perfect cookies, I decided to give it another go. In order to prevent any cow flops, I took two important steps: (1) I followed the good ol' Tollhouse recipe, so that I would be kept on the strait and narrow; and (2) I busted out a secret weapon in place of the chocolate chips: Trader Joe's mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups!!
Can a peanut butter cup possibly get more darling than this? I think not. Plus, I have heard many people rave about these little delights, so I knew they'd be the perfect complement to my cookies.So, I mixed and mixed and baked and baked. Tim waited with bated anticipation, teasing me occasionally about my knack for producing cow flop cookies. But when they were all finished, guess WHO SHOWED WHO!!!
Tim showed me. The cow flops are back again.
Hahaha!! EVERY TIME!! Why?? They're so ugly looking! Why do they get so flat and browned around the edges?? WHHHHYYYYYYY???!!!!But don't fret; there's a happy ending. For you see, Tim still ate one:
And he still really liked it:
... because fortunately, they were still really tasty (especially with those melty little peanut butter cups!). Okay, womanhood restored, at least a little bit. But I think we'll just make it Official Team Anderson Policy that Tim continues to handle the chocolate chip cookies. :-)
13 comments:
Those peanut butter cups are so cute!
Hahahahahaha awesome. Add more flour, and let the butter/sugar mix together for a really long time until the mixture is fluffy. Those are my secrets to puffy, chewy cookies.
Also, change the ratio of white-to-brown sugar by adding more brown and decreasing the white. I'm telling you, man. It works. :)
John's our cookie-maker as well. I like it :)
On our road trip, a stop at Trader Joe's was non-negotiable. Orange chicken for Chris, mini peanut butter cups for me.
A few days after we got home, Chris woke up at about 3:00 am worried sick that we had gotten caramel cups instead of peanut butter. Luckily, he's nutso and PB it was!
I'm thinking that some of my beloved cups with have to go into cookies, too.
I've heard that it's best for your cookies if you let your dough sit in the fridge over night before scooping it out. Cold dough might help you spreading problem, too.
i remember once when you were out of town, Tim brought us cookies and they were delish! Jared gets on cooking/baking kicks sometimes and I just stay out of the kitchen and tell him to clean up his mess! haha. Those little cups DO look yummy! I loved the puddle video, it looked like something you'd see on Sesame Street! so cute!
lol. don't worry, tim makes better choc chip cookies than me too -- his are a.maz.ing!
i agree, the tollhouse recipe never comes out right for me either. the dough is delish, but that recipe needs some edits. i have a stellar recipe i'll send you -- works every time ;)
Jean, you are SOO CUTE!!!! You two are ADORABLE together!
I'm sure your cookies tasted great! Adding chocolate pb cups sounds like a delicious twist on a classic. You are so creative!
I agree with Liz. I usually add 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. more flour than the recipe calls for. It does seem to help :)
TJ's! I am SO jealous that you have access to those incredible peanut butter cups. I LOVE them.
I make cow flops too. But now that they have a cool name, I won't feel so disappointed when it happens!
Poor Jean... on another note, GO TIM!
P.S. Jeremy still denies that Tim won the cookie contest. tsk tsk tsk.
The Tollhouse cookie recipe is lame. I think that recipe almost alwas turns out like yours look. Even out of the bucket/off the roll. I would just keep trying differet recipes. Actually, I would just let Tim make them. Not because I think you are incapable, but because that is what he's good for. If you take that away from him it will ruin the balance of your marriage.
I'm going to have to go get some of those peanut butter cups next time I go to Trader Joe's. I LOVE peanut butter & chocolate together. And I'm with Liz on her suggestions to fix your cow flops. Love the name, by the way.
And CUTE video of Weston in the puddles!! :D
Face it...Tim is the expert baker. But YOU were the expert fearless mouse-catcher as a child (when our cats brought a live one into the house). It's a good balance.
Don't let your butter melt too much before baking. Or at least that's what Betty told me. Mine often do the same thing. Listen to Liz and Heather. Their cookies could beat up my cookies.
Okay, I am going to Trader Joe's tomorrow.
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