Cakey Choco Chip Cookies

The March edition of Food Network Magazine was devoted to chocolate.  I dog-eared nearly every page and decided that my first recipe to try would be these cakey chocolate chip cookies.

I wasn't sure these would be blog-worthy because I figured eh, they are just chocolate chip cookies but since everything is always an adventure, here goes:

I stuck to the recipe as is with the following exceptions:

1.  I missed the part where you are supposed to put in room temperature eggs.  I know you are supposed to do this when baking as a general rule but I usually just use the eggs straight from my fridge.

2.  I always use room temperature butter.  Alas, when I went to put the butter in, the recipe says to use cold butter.  Oops.  I stuck it in the freezer for a bit to get it colder.  

3.  I used salted butter.

4.  Our baking soda expired in March.  Also, an oops.  But, I figured that was a month ago, how bad could it be?

5.  Extra chocolate chips could have been added.

The recipe instructs you to make these 2 1/2 inches across.  I was like really?  But it said you are supposed to get 12 cookies so I made 12 even-sized balls of dough.

They were very large.

So, usually when I bake, I use my silicon mat things.  Sometimes I use parchment paper but usually only when I am cooking a lot of cookies at one time.  This recipe said parchment paper so, trying to follow the recipe, I used that instead.  Not being particularly careful about how much was on each tray.

Cookies go into the oven.

I started to smell something burning but figured it was probably just goo in our stove that was burning off.  I ignored it.

Mr. yells from upstairs "Is something burning???!!!!"

Me: "Eh it is just the cookies baking."

Mr.: "I think something is burning."

Me: "Fine."

Sigh...  Putting my book down...   Going into the kitchen....  Opening the oven door....

AHHHHHHHHHH

The parchment paper was all on fire!!!!!  AHHHHHH!!!!!!  

Now, I had a momentary "OMG I used wax paper instead!" palpitation.

But no, the parchment paper was what I used.   And on the side of the box "Great for baking!!!"

I am guessing somehow the overlap of the parchment paper that was hanging off the trays touched something which resulted in it being set on fire.  I have used said parchment paper before in large amounts hanging off the edge of cookie sheets with no issue in the past.  I have no idea what happened.

Either way, I pulled the trays with the paper on fire out of the stove and attempted to put out the flames:

Sigh...


I pulled out my other cookie sheets and used my silicons to finish them off for the rest of the cooking time.

I sliced off the ashy parts of all of the cookies before putting them back in the oven.

We are still finding parchment ash in our kitchen.

Either way, the second attempt at cooking finished successfully:

These cookies are very big.  It is a lot to eat at once although they are decent.   However, I am not sure I would make them again as I still prefer Toll House.