Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic treat. However, this one simple treat has evolved to the point where there are countless variations of it all claiming to be the best. Even I have a family recipe to which I'm extremely partial and, as yet, have never found a chocolate chip cookie recipe to match it for taste and texture. Still, I decided that it was high time to leave my CCC comfort zone and see what else is out there. Thus begins my quest for the BEST chocolate chip cookie.

Over the next several weeks, I intend to make and share 12 different recipes (some well-known ones and others less so), including my FAVE family recipe. For control purposes, the cookies will always appear on the same plate so that you can see the differences in color, texture, and so forth. Then, at the end of my quest, I'll try and load a chart of all the recipes so that you can see how they differ in terms of their ingredients and the amounts that were used. And, of course, I will announce which one I determined to be my favorite of them all.

So, to kick it all off, I decided to make these Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies that I saw on Crepes of Wrath. It's a bit unorthodox, I admit, since nearly every single CCC uses butter. Still, I was curious to find out how these would differ.

The first thing I noticed is that the amount of olive oil required by the recipe is much lower than the amount of butter that one usually uses in CCC recipes. This resulted in a very stiff dough that had to be molded really well or else the chocolate chips would fall out. The cookies also did not spread out at all while baking (presumably due to the reduced amount of fat), so I flattened them down while they were in the oven (cause I didn't want chocolate chip cookie mounds). Finally, upon taking them out of the oven, I noted that they were very light colored.

The outside of the cookies was very crunchy and the inside was wonderfully soft and chewy. The taste, however, puts me at a loss for words. I'm not even sure how to describe what they tasted like except to say that they were "interesting." They weren't bad, but they didn't exactly have that normal chocolate chip cookie taste that I expected. I'm guessing that butter really is necessary for that taste that we all know and love. Still, I'm glad that I tried this recipe.

So, one down and 11 more to go. Stay tuned to see how the Great CCC Quest of 2011 turns out.

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Crepes of Wrath)

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp. milk (I left this out)
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Combine sugars, vanilla, and olive oil (mixture will be very grainy). Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, then add in a tablespoon of milk to make the dough a bit firmer (maybe another tablespoon if you need it).

Roll the dough into balls with your hands and place on a greased and/or lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 min., until lightly golden and set (I baked mine for 15-17 min.). Allow to cool on the baking sheet then move to another surface to finish cooling.

This recipe is linked to:
Made it on Monday
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
These Chicks Cooked
Whisking Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Bake with Bizzy
Friday's Potluck
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Themed Bakers' Sunday
So Sweet Sunday
Savory Sunday
CCC Round-Up