Chocolate Chip Cookie

I am a strong proponent of mastering a few great recipes: one layer cake, one fruit dessert, one chocolate chip cookie. But I have failed at this especially in the chocolate chip cookie arena.

I didn't want to be that person who baked multiple chocolate chip cookie recipes (come on, can't you stick to just one?!) but it appears I have become "that person." I have to place the blame somewhere so today I will blame Momofuko Milk Bar. The obsession started with her corn cookie then moved to her cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow cookie then out of nowhere, my kitchen magically produced all of the ingredients needed to make her chocolate chip cookie (and by "magically produced" I mean, I "opened my cabinet").

The cookies are worth adding a second or third (or fourth) chocolate chip recipe to the mix. But please, pretty please, don't skimp on the chocolate.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Momofuko Milk Bar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and just warm to the touch
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1  3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp nonfat milk powder
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
12 oz chocolate chunks

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

With a wooden spoon, mix the sugars together in a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir vigorously for about a minute or more. Add the egg and vanilla in the and stir until the mix gathers a glossy sheen, about one more minute.

Mix in the flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

Use a #20 scoop to portion the dough and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silpat with at least 2 inches in between. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle. 

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Corn Cookie

I'm sure that I am not the only one who frequently falls down the internet rabbit hole of cookies, cakes, tarts, candy, pretty much any and all things edible. More often than not I stare at the photos and imagine having endless free days to bake recipe after recipe.  Then the reality of work, a toddler, and Better Call Saul comes into focus.

But once in a while, I do bake those recipes...and once in a while, they turn out even better than I could have ever expected.

This is where Momofuko's bakery, Milk Bar comes into play. I have been a bit obsessed with her cookies and cakes lately. The flavor combinations are really fun and the cakes are beautiful in a stripped down sort of way.  So when my husband showed up at our place with a canister of her cookies, I decided to first eat all of the cookies and then replicate a few of them. 

This is one. This is one of the best ones. This is one where most people will be apprehensive to take a bite but then can't stop once you have convinced them to do so. Yes, like most of her recipes, this one takes a bit a shopping to find all of the ingredients but I encourage you to take the extra time because it is worth it in the end.

Without further ado: the perfectly sweet and savory corn cookie.

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Corn Cookie
from Momofuko Milk Bar

16 tbsp (225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups packed (225 grams) bread flour
1/4 cup packed corn flour (45 grams; see note below)
About 2 oz. (65 grams) freeze-dried corn, ground to a powder (2/3 cup packed; see note below)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

Note: You can find Bob's Red Mill corn flour at Whole Foods and Amazon. While you can purchase corn powder from Milk Bar stores (milkbarstore.com), you can also grind your own from freeze-dried corn (look for the Just Tomatoes brand at some natural food stores or online at justtomatoes.com or Amazon).

Make the cookies: Line two large baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and beat for 8 minutes or until very light and fluffy. 

On low speed, add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat just until the dough comes together, ~1 minute.

Use a size 20 scoop and portion out the dough on a baking sheet. Sightly flatten the dough and wrap the sheet tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 1 week).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chilled dough on a baking sheet ensuring at least 3 inches between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. 

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