Cookwise is written by Shirley O. Corriher and is a reference cookbook for those of you who would like to master cooking the classics and baking flawlessly. It is my go to reference book. When it came on the market, there was a lot of buzz in the food community. Finally a cookbook the revealed all the secrets of the chemistry of cooking. Yes every trick of the trade in understandable language for the home cook. If you read this book from cover to cover, you will become a knowledgeable cook.
One of my favorite features in this book are the charts. for example the chocolate chip cookie chart. She has four recipes 1. Basic 2.Thin 3.Puffed 4.In Between...Simply fantastic, in each recipe she alters the chemistry and measures just enough, that the outcome is the one you prefer.
Chocolate Chip Cookies 3 WaysIngredients:
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons fat
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsMethod:For Thin Crispy cookies:.
for flour, use bleached all purpose flour.
increase baking soda to 3/4 teaspoons.
for fat, use butter.
for sugar, use 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, and 3 Tbs corn syrup.
Instead of egg, use 2 Tbs milk.For puffed cookies:.
for flour, use cake flour.
instead of baking soda, use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder.
for fat, use 9 Tbs butter flavored shortening.
for sugar, use 1 cup minus 1 Tbs light brown sugar.For In-between (Chewy) cookies:.
for flour, use cake flour.
instead of baking soda, use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder.
for fat, use 5 tbs butter and 5 Tbs butter flavored shortening.
for sugar, use 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 2 Tbs corn syrup.Directions for all:.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roast pecans in oven for 10-12 minutes. While still hot, stir in 2 Tbs butter.
Turn oven up to 375 degrees F.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder (soda).
Using an electric mixer, cream together fat and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add the corn syrup if using. Add egg or milk and beat throughly. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then pecans and chocolate chips. Mix well.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drop slightly heaped tablespoons of dough about 2" apart.
Bake 12 minutes or just until edges begin to brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet placed on a rack for 3 minutes. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.Genius. You will love this book. It's just so darn interesting.This book is so chocked full of information, I could not put it down. Shirley is a lovely woman, a wise chef and a James Beard Award winner, humble and brilliant. This book is a classic and a must have in your own cookbook collection, make a note and add it to your collection.Buy Cookwise herephoto by lesley graham
