23 OCT 2021 · In this long, ranty, sweary - but ultimately useful - episode, Omid (ranty and sweary) and Alannah (useful) ponder the question: Why do most cookies in France suck so much? By deep diving into each primary ingredient and how the French equivalents work in American recipes, you’ll learn how to troubleshoot your own cookie issues, drawing from the experience of baking tens of thousands of cookies.
To help you along, you’ll get a recipe and instructions for nearly foolproof chocolate chip cookies to build upon and apply the veritable fountain of knowledge gained from this show. And to make it really foolproof, it’s presented in metric, and by weight only! Using a scale is the first step to nailing cookies.
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes 12 cookies of about 100 grams)
185g butter (melted)
430g T55 or T65 (all-purpose) flour
8g baking soda
8g baking powder
6g salt
220g sugar
150g light brown sugar
2 eggs
180g chocolate chips
You will need:
A whisk, a rubber/silicone spatula, a mixing bowl, a baking sheet, parchment paper
Melt the butter (gently) in a saucepan or microwave – you don’t want it bubbling or browned.
Mix all the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips), preferably with a whisk, in a large mixing bowl.
Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients, mixing in with a spatula until incorporated, but no further. You can also use a hand or stand mixer for this step. Break up the eggs and work them in next, all at once. Once everything is combined and looks consistent, work in the chocolate chips with a spatula (do not use a mixer for this step).
Ball up the dough into 100g chunks. You may need to chill the dough for about 30 minutes first to make it easier to ball up. Once you have a dozen balls, place them on a tray or in a few Tupperware and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. You can keep the cookie balls overnight, or even up to a week.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Evenly space your cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper – a typical home oven sheet will hold about six of these cookies, but make sure they’re at least a few inches apart.
Bake for 14 minutes, and allow to cool before handling.
Find Us Online
Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/thetransplantkitchen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/
Credits
Host: Alannah McPherson Tavallai; https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/alannahmcphersontavallai; @hannala
Host: Omid Tavallai; https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/omidtavallai; @tavallai
Nortion of Paris: @nortonofparis
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/jenniferfoxgeraghty; @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com
Music Credits
Theme music is “Leave” by Omid Tavallai
About Us
French cuisine is magnifique. It has a well-deserved reputation around the world. But when you're a transplant from another country living in France, sometimes you want to trade in that croissant for a cinnamon roll. Or a tartine for a taco.
Join us at The Transplant Kitchen as we share recipes, stories, and tips on how to make the capital of gastronomy feel a little more like home.