I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy sipping a coffee or an espresso with some Irish cream, especially on a cold weekend morning. I also love a good chocolate chip cookie, soft and chewy, chocked full of chips. I have been in the mood for a treat of some sort, we have not had one for a while and being home more it is not wise to keep too much around. Then the other day I was looking for something when I happened upon a bottle of Irish cream in the cabinet which got me to thinking, I have not had a coffee and Irish cream in a long while either, so why not combine the two favorites into one delicious bite.
While I love involved baking projects, sometimes it is very nice to just throw some things together and be done, and this recipe certainly fills that bill. One of the things I enjoy about cookies is how easy they are to make, and I really like this recipe because you can make the dough one day and bake it off another if you like.
Tips for mixing cookies:
- Pretend you are hosting a cooking show and get out everything the recipe calls for. Measure all of your ingredients into individual small ramekins, bowls, or even cupcake papers, this has saved me a lot of grief over the years. If you’re interrupted or lose track of your measure you can easily start over. I think all of us have had a spice or extract suddenly come pouring out of the container spilling over the measuring spoon, and rather than trying to scoop some extra salt out of the other ingredients it is much easier to have one more dish to rinse. Having all of your “mise en place” before you even begin mixing also assures you have everything you need.
- Always use two bowls for any cookie recipe, one for dry ingredients and one for wet. This allows you to completely mix the ingredients better than if you attempt the all in one bowl method.
- After measuring and adding all of your dry ingredients to a bowl, use a whisk to sift everything together. Getting the leavening agents and spices thoroughly distributed throughout the flour will ensure better flavor and texture.
- Typically cookie recipes will tell you to cream together the butter and sugars. Making sure the sugar has completely dissolved into the butter will deliver you the best texture in your baked product. It takes several minutes with a hand mixer to completely achieve a fluffy texture but it is certainly worth the time. Once the sugar and butter are creamed together add your measured flavorings followed by the eggs. Break your eggs one at a time into a small bowl before adding, and mix well after adding each egg. Nuts bring a nice crunch to a cookie, eggshells…….not so much.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet about a third at a time, mixing only enough to absorb the flour. Since the dry ingredients were well combined and the butter and sugar was thoroughly mixed you need less mixing at this stage. Over mixing at this point creates a tougher cookie, so only mix until the flour is absorbed.
- Fold in chips and nuts last using a sturdy spoon or spatula mixing only enough to evenly distribute through the dough.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate. Press plastic wrap directly against the dough to “seal” it in the bowl. This will keep all air off the dough and prevent it from drying out. You want chilled dough not dried out dough, and be patient and let the dough chill for the recommended time.
Preparing to bake:
Once your dough has chilled it is time to get the cookies formed and on the baking sheets. I like to have my oven hot at this point and ready to go. Make sure you have your racks set according to how you are going to bake. If you are using a conventional oven you need to determine if you are going to bake one pan or several. If you are using one pan the center of the oven is usually the best position, however if you are going to bake two pans at a time make sure to space them so that they will be easy to rotate half way through the baking time. If you are using convection be sure to position the racks so the fan will blow over both pans.
- It is important to make sure your oven has had time to completely heat. I keep a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven whenever I bake, this helps keep a constant temperature and helps keep the heat if you need to open the door.
- Line your baking sheets or trays with parchment paper or silpats. I really like the silicone baking sheets, they really help keep the bottoms of the cookies from getting to dark before the tops are golden.
- Consistent sizing is key when you are forming your cookies, it allows for even baking. Using a scoop is probably the easiest way to ensure even sized product but a tablespoon or teaspoon can also be used, whatever tool you have or method you use just try to keep your cookies even sized and shaped.
- Don’t crowd the pan, cookies always spread as they bake so remember to place them so that there will be at least an inch between when they are baked. I know it is tempting to just fill a pan and be done but giving them enough room will let the heat circulate and give the edges a nice even crisp.
- Put chilled dough back in the fridge if you need to bake off the cookies in more that one round. Cold dough produces a taller thicker cookie. If you leave your dough on the counter the second round will most likely be much flatter and spread much more than the initial round.
Baking and cooling:
The smell of cookies baking in the oven is always a delightful treat in itself. Make sure your oven is set up and ready and your hot pads and mitts are easy to grab. Once your cookies are formed and panned up it is time to get them in the oven. It is important not to let them sit on the counter at this point, they need to go directly in.
- Rotate your pans halfway through the baking if you are using a conventional oven. Set your timer for half of the suggested time and have your hot pads and gloves ready. Be sure to rotate the pans not only front to back but from top shelf to bottom as well. This will give you the best even color on your cookies. If you are baking with convection there is usually no need to rotate your pans.
- Watch the edges of your cookies for color not just the tops. If the bottoms are getting dark you need to pull them.
- If a recipe directs you to let your cookies cool on the pan, do so, and for the suggested time. Like in this case, the cookies will look slightly pale and puffy, letting them stand on the pan will allow the residual heat to finish the baking process and keep the cookies moist and tender.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack leaving some space between the cookies to help with the cooling. Cookies with lots of chocolate chips take quite a while to completely cool, while the exterior may feel cool the center of the chips require a bit of time to firm up. Of course for testing a nice warm cookie with soft chips is a great prize, but not the best for storing.
Storing your cookies:
If for some reason your family doesn’t inhale all of your cookies, they do keep very well. I have found plastic storage containers work better than just tossing them in zip lock bags, and depending on your situation and number of people, storage may not even be an issue.
I found plastic storage boxes that are very inexpensive that I like to use. They are made by Sterilite and measure 13″ x 8″ x 5″, they are actually listed for shoe storage. I got them at the local market and paid only one dollar a piece for them. They are perfect for storing cookies and bars. I use wax paper to line them and layer between. Placed in a cool location cookies will last for at least a week and still taste incredibly fresh.
I hope you might have found some of my tips helpful and also that you give this recipe a try. I think you will be very pleased if you do. Please let us know how you like them if you do give them a go, we always really enjoy hearing about your baking adventures.
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant Espresso powder
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 ½ Tablespoons Irish Cream Brendan’s or Bailey’s
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 14 ounces chocolate chips I use a combination of dark choc, white choc, and butterscotch
- ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
-
In a medium-sized mixing bowl sift together all dry ingredients. Set aside.
-
In another large bowl, cream together butter and sugars with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and Irish cream and mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix until creamy.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture a third at a time. Mix only until all the flour is absorbed. Dough will be thick.
-
Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap pressing the wrap down on top of the dough.
-
Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
-
When ready to bake. Heat your oven to 350°F for convection, 375°F for conventional and position racks in the center of oven. Line sheet pans with silpats or parchment paper.
-
Using a spoon or scoop, roll 3 ounce sized balls with your hands and place on prepared pans. Leave plenty of space as the cookies will spread. I baked 6 per pan to allow plenty of room.
-
Bake the cookies for 8 – 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to completely cool.
- If you do not regularly keep Irish Cream in the house, the little mini bottles work perfect for one recipe!
- I use a combination of chips for this cookie. Use any variety you like or what ever you have on hand. All will be delicious.
- Pecans would also be great in this cookie or you can skip the nuts altogether if you prefer.
