Best Chocolate Chip/White Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

Adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=chocholate%20chip%20cookies&st=cse
and
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/02/cappuccino-cookies-with-espresso-and-white-chocolate/

Yield: 34 4 inch (2 oz) cookies

17 oz AP flour (can use half cake, half bread if on hand)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons coarse salt

2.5 Tbsp instant espresso powder

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter at room temp (30 mins after chopping)

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temp

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 pound chocolate (half white choc chunks, half chopped choc covered espresso beans)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, instant espresso, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Bake until they puff up and still have moist streaks (will continue to cook as they rest) for about 15 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Notes:

• Can make smaller--1.75 oz
• BEST cookie recipe
  

Alton Brown Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/07/the-chocolate-chip-cookie-debate-part-1/
Notes:

• Melted butter in cookie
  
• Looks pretty but bakes up DRY (tried 2x)
• Do NOT make again
  

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/oatmeal-cookies-recipe

• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 c vegetable shortening
• 3 3/4 ounces light brown sugar
• 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cider or white vinegar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 5 ounces quick-cooking rolled oats
• 5 ounces golden raisins, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, light-colored preferred.

2) Beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vinegar till fairly smooth; a few tiny bits of butter may still show.

3) Beat in the egg, again beating till smooth.

4) Add the baking soda and flour, beating till well incorporated.

5) Add the oats (and raisins), stirring to combine. 6) Drop the dough in 1 1/4" balls onto the prepared baking sheets; if you're measuring, this is about 2 level tablespoons (using a tablespoon measure, not a dinner spoon). Space the cookies 2" apart; they'll spread 7) Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through (top rack to bottom, bottom to top). For softer cookies, bake the lesser amount of time; for crunchier, the longer amount. At 12 minutes, a few of the cookies on the edge should just barely be showing a pale brown around their edges. At 14 minutes, they should be starting to color all over. 8) Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan. Notes: Really excellent recipe, great spiciness Sub in whole wheat pastry flour Slightly increase number of raisins Chill/freeze batter so that the cookies will be more thick and chewy instead of spreading Made 22 cookies Tops may crack slightly in cookies that spread (chill!)