Here is the one for CCC: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Episode: The Cookie Jar Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting. Makes 16 cookies 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note) 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (see note) 3/4 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, toasted (optional) See Illustrations Below: Don't Bake in Batches 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. 2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted. 3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain. 4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.) 5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

lizbeth-gardener- --Perfectly softened butter should still look solid, but "give" a little when you press it lightly with your finger and leave a slight indent, but shouldn't be soft in feel or appearance. You don't want partially-melted butter. Using butter that is too soft can cause cookie spread. --Instead of the touch test for butter, try taking the temperature (place the thermometer into the stick from the narrow end into the center of the length of the stick) . Optimal temperature for fat/butter is 65-67-degrees F when you measure it with an instant-read thermometer. Since butter warms quickly when it's beat, starting at this cooler temperature prevents it from getting too soft during mixing. --Cold-from-the-refrigerator butter will be soft in 30-40-minutes at room temperature. You can speed that up by grating the butter on a large hole box grater, and grating it is a better method than in the microwave. --Don't use butter that has been sitting out on the counter for hours/days because it will probably be too soft (aka "slack" butter) due to ambient kitchen temperatures. --Thoroughly chilled dough will help assure the fat is solid once again - although if the dough got overly-warm at any point, the texture can change because the moisture and the fat in butter can separate. There are all kinds of tests for the "perfect" amount of refrigerator time, but there are too many variables from recipe-to-recipe to make that determination without testing each one. I have recipes that work best mixed and baked immediately (especially low-fat, or if liquid fat is used in the recipe), others need to be chilled at least an hour or 12-hours works well. If I freeze the dough balls, I prefer thawing them in the refrigerator overnight rather than baking them frozen, although, that's just one more option. --If you have a large amount of cookie dough to bake, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator while waiting for use. The heat in the kitchen can cause the fat to melt and the dough to go "slack", especially towards the end of the batch. --Don't continue to stir the cookie dough between handling for portioning because mixing it will over-develop the gluten and you'll get tough cookies. Pilllog mentioned not aerating the dough..... It's not so much about aerating as it is about over-mixing and over-developing the gluten once the flour has been added, which will cause the cookies to be tough. Once the fat/sugar have been properly mixed, don't over-mix the dough once the eggs have been added or the fat/liquid can "break". --Avoid placing cookie dough on a hot/warm pan. Have at least 3-4 cookies sheets to use so you always have one that is completely cool before loading the dough on it. Even warm pans will begin melting the fat in the dough. --Other causes for cookie spread: too much sugar (be sure to measure carefully), large-grained sugar (fine-grained is a better choice), too much baking soda - which makes the pH too high, too much grease or fat residue on the pan (wipe off between batches - better yet, cover them with parchment paper), incorrect temperature or cold oven temperature (be sure to preheat and check your oven for actual temperature using an oven thermometer). --Another important, and often missed, point.... When mixing the fat and sugar, be sure to take your time. If you rush through this step you can cause cookie spread because the two ingredients haven't been properly incorporated and the sugar crystals will remain too large. Other points to consider: -Size of the cookies you make. -Use a portion scoop so you get like-sized cookies which bake in the same amount of time. -Use a timer, and remember, the first pan normally takes a little longer then the subsequent pans. -In a standard oven, only bake one pan of cookies at a time and turn the pan half-way through baking. If you have a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 25-degrees F, and half-way through turn the pans and move the pans top to bottom. On a personal note, I've used nothing but insulated baking sheets for over 30-years, however I don't bake directly on the pans, I always top them with parchment paper. Adding parchment paper will give slightly different results on ALL pan types, as would adding a silicon sheet. When judging cookies at Fairs I can usually tell which kind of pan was used by the bottom of the cookies. Each pan type will give different results and there are different hints and tips for baking on each of them successfully. -Grainlady

Hi Linda, I posted these bars on the Recipe Forum earlier. Los Angeles Times: These delicious little bars combine a dense graham cracker base with a velvety custard filling rich with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Sweet, but not overly so, each bar is like a perfect miniature pecan pie baked over a wonderfully crumbly graham cracker crust. Graham cracker chewy bars Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time Servings: 24 bars Note: Adapted from "Celebrating With Julienne" by Susan Campoy. Campoy writes, "I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite books, 'Nantucket Open-House Cookbook,' by Sarah Leah Chase. I love watching people's expressions when they bite into these bars for the first time. The textures and flavors -- rich toffee, a chewy center and a crunchy bottom -- make everyone smile. The secret is not to over-bake the crust. Serve them at room temperature, so the flavors meld together." Crust 3 cups graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Topping and assembly 2 1/2 cups brown sugar 4 extra-large eggs 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 prepared crust Powdered sugar, if desired 1. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder until well-blended. Stir in the pecans. 2. Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is dark-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely. 3. Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan if desired, and cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.

Shortbread is one of my favorite cookies to make and one of the most popular that I gift friends with. Rich, but not overly sweet, and as long as you keep them in a cool place (so the butter doesn't turn), they can stay good for weeks and weeks. I use the recipe from the Fannie Farmer baking book and my food processor. 2 sticks butter (1 cup) 2/3 c powdered sugar 1 t vanilla 2 c flour 1/4 t salt Process the butter, sugar and vanilla until it's smooth and then add the flour and salt. Process again until mixed. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch, and then cut into whatever shapes you favor. Place the cookies an inch apart on ungreased (yay!) cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. You want them to barely color around the edges, not go brown at all. Cool them on a rack. Now, for my additions/alterations to the recipe... I like to brush the cookies with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven...heck, I'm eating shortbread anyway, and that extra splash of butter flavor is so wickedly good. Also, I get creative with my shortbread. It's a wonderfully flexible cookie, a good base for all kinds of flavorful additions. I toast pecans, process them into crumbs and knead them into the dough. Grate Meyer lemon zest into the dough, and add some juice to the melted butter wash. Crushed candy canes are a fun Christmas time addition (be judicious with these, as too much can make the cookies stick to the sheet). A good quality cocoa powder makes for chocolate shortbread. Finely minced dried fruits (cranberry or apricot are my favorites). Toasted coconut...put some of the sweetened coconut you get in the baking section of the grocery store into a heavy fry pan over a med-high heat and stir it 'round until it starts browning and the aroma rises wonderfully. Then mince it and work it into the dough. Gosh, I haven't made shortbread cookies for a while, and have been wondering what to make as little gifts for my clients...I think I've just decided!