Healthy (no, not really) Chocolate Chip Cookies

As we wrap up (for now, at least) this discussion of chocolate chip cookies, I thought we'd revisit something I mentioned earlier: the "healthy" option. Let me explain...

So, alright, they're not really healthy. But they might at least be healthier, and because they have some different elements than the traditional chocolate chip cookies I make, they can be a nice change of pace. Let's look at what goes into them:

The bottom line says "6oz Chocolate Chips" and "1 1/2 cups Corn Flakes"

Not in the photo: 2oz of Hot Water.

The recipe for these starts out pretty much like the last batch of cookies we made. We combine the shortening (margarine) and sugars. (You may notice, if you have eagle eyes, that I'm only doing a half batch of these. I'll explain, later.)

We've got both white and brown sugars in here - a bit more white than brown. If you've been paying attention, you probably have some idea of what that will mean to the final product.

Then we add in our liquid ingredients, which - in this case - includes some hot water (I just go for hot out of the tap). 

Christopher bought a whole set of liquid measuring "beakers" from Oxo a while ago and I kind of asked why we needed them. Not gonna lie. I use them more than I ever thought I would. 

Now do you understand why I took a picture of the water by itself? 

With the extra liquid in this recipe, it does look a little odd when it's all mixed together:

Next go all of the dry ingredients - which include baking powder (instead of baking soda, which was in the other version we've made). And then we get to the good stuff: chocolate chips - and corn flakes.

You can see that, with the addition of the flour, the broken, liquid batter has gotten a better consistency.

Once it's all mixed together, it's still a little "softer" than a lot of cookie doughs. It's really kind of a cross between a dough and a really lumpy (due to the chips and flakes) batter. 

At this point, it is so tempting to eat it raw by the spoonful. Remember, though, that this has raw eggs and raw flour in it. Proceed at your own risk.

Once again, the small scoop gets put to use, and we end up with a nifty pan filled with pre-cookies:

I don't know if you can tell, but I did grease the pan.

Into the 375-degree oven, and you'll get to watch them puff up a bit as they bake for about 8 to 10 minutes.

They also get really shiny on top while they're baking, but should look "dry" on the top when they're done. A really good thing to look for is also the light golden edge around the base of the cookies, which tells you they're ready to come out of the oven.

Can you see that they're not glossy, any more? And although the tops are still pale, the bottom edges have just a faint golden brown edge going on.

They do spread a little, but not very much, so you can easily fit 20 on a cookie sheet. (24 might work, but they'd probably run up against each other.)

I let them set up on the pan for just a little bit (basically long enough for me to close the oven and get out the cooling racks that I undoubtedly have forgotten), and then they typically come off the pan pretty easily.

When all is said and done, they should have a nice, golden base: 

And a slightly cakey interior texture:

Much like the Sugar Jumbles, these are more likely to "tear" when you try to bend them, instead of actually bending like the other chocolate chip cookies.

It will probably come as no surprise that the texture is kind of a cross between the all-white-sugar Sugar Jumbles from last week, and the "regular" chocolate chip cookies. Their "rise" is somewhere between the two, as well. For comparison (these were both made from the same size scoop):

Yep. The one on the right is from another batch of chocolate chip cookies I made earlier in the day. Have I mentioned that I make a lot of them? 

You're probably wondering about the corn flakes in the cookie and how they impact everything. That's a little harder for me to write up, so let's go back to video for that...

For the record, yes, I thought I trimmed the start of this video. No idea why you have to watch me get in position in the finished product. (I'm learning...)

Next week: Something other than chocolate chip cookies!

But wait... there's more: 

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Want to help me decide what to make in the future? Have a recipe that you're unsure about - or a kitchen question you want me to look into? (After all, we're getting close to that time of year when we all want to impress the friends and relatives...) Let me know and I'll see what I can do! (It might get you a  gratitude-inspired plate of chocolate chip cookies in the mail!)