MY NOT SO FAMOUS FAMOUS AMOS COOKIES RECIPE|BEST HOMEMADE COOKIES EVER

The story of this chocolate chip cookie is as old as I am. As a kid, I was always drawn to the amazing aroma of chocolate chip cookies from Famous Amos and I would pester my Dad to buy me some. But, it was such a rare treat because it was so expensive. But you know what? You can actually make this yourself, at home!  

About a year ago, Baizura, a passionate home baker from our neighbour Malaysia said she had cracked the code of the world renowned Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. Her one single social media post, that included the full recipe and photos was shared over and over again all over the world!

In my part of the world, my little sister found it and started baking them, much to our delight! But then, she got really busy, so I thought maybe it’s time for big sister to take over.

So, here’s my version of the famed cookies with less sugar and with some sourdough starter added in for greater digestibility!

INGREDIENTS:

250g brown butter

270g all purpose flour

56g corn starch

1t baking powder

1t baking soda

125g light brown sugar

1t vanilla essence

1 egg (make sure it's at least 50g)

80g coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

60g liquid sourdough starter (100% hydration)

340g bitter, dark chocolate chips (73.5% cocoa)

To give the cookies their characteristic robust, nutty flavour, start by browning 250 grams of butter, then leave it aside to cool while you prep the other ingredients.

I’ll explain more in detail why brown butter is better in another post so watch this space.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients starting with 270 grams of all purpose flour, 56 grams of corn starch, one teaspoon of baking powder, and one teaspoon of baking soda.

After the brown butter has cooled sufficiently, add 125 grams of light brown sugar.

For tips on how to tastefully reduce the amount of sugar in your cookie recipes, watch this!

In the meantime, add one teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Add one egg, I know, they come in different sizes. Best thing to do? Weigh it to make sure it’s at least 50 grams each.

And then, you add 80 grams of coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Pour in 60 grams of liquid sourdough at 100 per cent hydration.

Mix well, then add in the dry ingredients.

Last but certainly not in any way the least, 340 grams of bitter, dark chocolate chips.

Cover and leave it in the fridge for at least half an hour or better still, leave it to ferment and develop flavour, overnight.    

When you’re ready to bake those cookies, preheat your oven at 200°C and once your oven reaches an internal temperature of 150°C… turn the temperature down, and keep it right there!

To make sure that the cookies are equally-sized and baked evenly,I’m gonna use a cookie dough scoop. Conversely, you could also pinch tiny balls of cookie dough and weigh them on the scale, to be really really precise.

Space them neatly apart across the baking tray lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle each cookie with some sea salt flakes, if you like, and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 

And there you have it, you now know how to make the best homemade cookies ever! And I’m so glad I got to share with you my not so famous Famous Amos cookies recipe. Try it and let me know how you go! Till then, have a beautiful day!

CLASSIC OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE| NOT TOO SWEET OATMEAL COOKIES, CRAISINS

Did you know that while the baker's percentage is a way that bakers communicate with each other, baking ratios help give you a formula for how ingredients are combined so you never really need a recipe, again?

I'm no baker but both bakers' percentage and baking ratios will definitely make you a much more confident dough puncher!

I'm a fan of both!

This all started when I was learning to make sourdough breads, at home, using bakers' percentage. Soon, I was making sourdough pizzas and more! Then, my interest in baking grew and extended to other bakes as well, like cookies.

Speaking of which, I've been craving oatmeal cookies for a while now but I haven't been able to settle on a suitable recipe. They were either too sweet or just too much of something else.

Either way, I was trying to find a means of adjusting the ingredients so that they were not too sweet, yet totally satisfying!

I think I finally found it and I wanna be the first to share it with you.

I came across this baking ratio for cookies in this article I found online. And because I was able to confidently adjust the sugar level downwards, that gave me the final push to make those chewy oatmeal cookies that I've been dreaming about. And guess what? It's as simple as  1-2-3 or should I say 3-2-1. That is, 3 parts of flour : 2 parts of fat : 1 part of sugar.

The list of ingredients below is an approximation of this cookie baking ratio.

In the end, the cookies turned out better than I had expected. So here's my take on a classic recipe for oatmeal cookies.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 25 cookies, 40mm scoop)

Butter, salted	113g
Xylitol	60g
Almond milk	59g
Rolled oats	72g
All-purpose flour	102g
Cinnamon	6g
Baking powder	6g
Raisins	40g
Dried cranberries	33g

 

METHOD

1	Preheat oven at 200°C, then turn it down to 180°C when baking
2	Mix butter and xylitol in stand mixer until smooth and creamy
3	Add almond milk and mix until combined
4	Mix the rest of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
5	Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, continue mixing until a dough forms
6	Add raisins and dried cranberries or Craisins (73g)
7	Portion equal amounts of cookie dough onto baking sheet
8	Bake at 180°C for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown

 

Using a cookie dough scoop really helps to portion out near equal amounts of the  cookie batter onto the baking sheet so the cookies will cook and brown, evenly.

The second time I made these cookies, I substituted the all purpose flour for almond meal and coconut flour. They were noticeably less chewy, more delicate and crumbly but they all had the same great taste, if not better!

I sincerely hope you give this recipe a go. My wish, is that the above baking ratio will give you the confidence to adjust the prescribed sugar amounts, in any recipe, down to a level that is healthfully beneficial to you and your family.

Till my next post, have a beautiful day!

P.S. Follow @lovelynettetan for more!