Oatmeal CookieBlog

Crunchy vs. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

A recent Consumer Reports poll found that most people prefer crunchy over chewy chocolate chip cookies. Hmmm...who can choose?

I've got an idea: Bake up batches of my crunchy and chewy recipes, pour yourself a glass of milk, and conduct your own texture test. Now that's baking with a purpose!

Poll Roundup XXIV

According to my What Do You Want for Valentine's Day? poll, people prefer cookies and cash. So forget about the candy cards next year, everybody!

But I wonder how the results would have differed if I had included flowers or chocolate or jewelry. Sometimes my love for alliteration just gets in the way of a scientific sampling. Thanks to all who participated. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

What Do You Want for Valentine's Day?

Holy Cow! Valentine's Day is just around the corner. (I'd better start putting together some new recipes for the holiday.) What do you want from your sweetie on Sunday?

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Poll Roundup XXIII

According to my Are You Participating in Any Cookie Swaps This Christmas? poll, about as many people plan on eating cookies as do actually sharing cookies.

Interesting how that works, right?

Thanks to all who participated. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Are You Participating in Any Cookie Swaps This Christmas?

It's official: 'Tis the baking season. As I gear up for my Christmas baking, I'm curious to know how popular cookie swaps are. Any of you doing cookie swaps over the holidays?

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Poll Roundup XXII

According to my What's Your Favorite Thanksgiving Sweet Treat? poll, people are topping off their turkey and stuffing with either pumpkin pie or a whole mess of other stuff. Gobble gobble gobble, indeed!

Poor hard sauce and cranberry bread get no love, with each getting only 1.8% of the vote.

Thanks to all who participated. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

What's Your Favorite Thanksgiving Sweet Treat?

Time to start thinking about all those Thanksgiving desserts. What treat will top off your turkey dinner?

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Poll Roundup XXI

It's no trick. According to my What's Your Favorite Halloween Candy? poll, Reese's cups are readers' favorite treat. I can't argue with that!

But poor Necco wafers. At 0% They get no respect. Or maybe it's just because people outside of New England don't know about this candy. They're thin and round--about the size of a quarter--and taste just like those conversation hearts you get around Valentine's Day.

Thanks to all who voted. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

What's Your Favorite Halloween Candy?

Carrie's query about candy corn cookies got me to thinking (ha! a Sex and the City pun) about other Halloween goodies to turn into cookies.

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Poll Roundup XX

According to my Raising the Bar? poll, readers didn't care if their cookies were round or rectangular. The just wanted those baked bits in their mouths!

The bar thing is something I'll definitely explore some more.

Thanks to all who voted and commented. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Raising the Bar?

Sharon, a real-life cookie taster, loves to bake cookies with her kids, but she said that drop cookies--the little round guys--are a real hassle because scooping and baking individual cookie units is just too time consuming. I see what she means: It's a lot faster and easier to bake all the dough in one shot and then cut individual servings straight from the pan. She's asked me to come up with a bar cookie recipe, and I hope to have one for her really soon. But before then, I thought I'd ask you, dear readers, where you stand on the drop cookies vs. bar cookies issue. Which cookie shape do you prefer? Does shape trump taste?

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Poll Roundup XIX

According to my Springtime Flavors poll, berry was readers' top choice for a seasonal flavor. In fact, berry beat out citrus, the next highest rated pick, by a 2-1 margin.

I voted for rhubarb--just to be different. But I think a strawberry-rhubarb cookie might be fun to try. Here's a list of just a few flavor combos this poll has inspired:

Strawberry-Rhubarb
Meyer Lemon & Thyme
XXX Strawberry (a take on my XXX Cranberry Cookies)
Lemon in the Coconut
Strawberry Shortcake
Peaches & Cream

Thanks to all who voted and commented. You've given me some great ideas! Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Springtime Flavors

Despite the recent chilly weather hear in New York, spring is...springing. So, of course, it's time to start thinking about seasonal cookie flavors.

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Poll Roundup XVIII

According to my Easter Treats poll, chocolate (surprise, surprise) was readers' top choice for Easter candy. In fact, chocolate took out Peeps, the next highest rated pick, by a margin of well over 2-1.

I voted for jelly beans, but they might be a little hard to incorporate into a cookie. They'd probably just melt into lumps of goo. But that might be a good thing, especially if I use them to make stained glass cookies. Hmm...I'll have to think about that.

Thanks to all who voted and commented. You've given me some great ideas! Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Easter Treats

I've been trying to come up with an Easter cookie, but I need to do some research first...

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Poll Roundup XVII

According to my Erin Go Bragh(kovich) poll, readers' top three St. Patrick's Day cookie ingredients were Bailey's Irish Cream, McCann's Irish oatmeal, and Guinness, followed closely by green food coloring and Jameson whiskey. I guess the results aren't too surprising, but I don't know if I can do a cookie with three kinds of alcohol in it. Then again...maybe I can.

Poor little currants didn't get a single vote. Whenever I think of scones or Irish soda bread, currants are one of the default mix-ins. I'll bring them in somehow, even though they scored a big 0.0%. Maybe I'll enplumpen 'em with some booze.

I'm going to come up with St. Patrick's Day cookies for the drinkers and nondrinkers alike. Here's a hint: I'll be putting the tea back in teetotaler

Thanks to all who voted and commented. Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Erin Go Bragh(kovich)

I want to get an early start on a St. Patrick's Day-themed cookie, and how better to figure out the recipe than to have a poll? I'm thinking of something sconey...but better. Pick the ingredient you think would best capture the flavor and spirit of the holiday. And don't worry: I'll definitely do a kid-friendly, booze-free recipe too.

(See, Alicia, I included an "all of the above" option this time!)

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Poll Roundup XVI

According to my What's Your Favorite Valentine's Day Candy? poll, chocolate--in the aggregate--rated highest. Of course, there's no surprise there. The seasonal shapes, colors, and candies rated highly as well. (Full disclosure time: I heart cinnamon hearts.)

I'm going to come up with a Valentine's Day cookie that incorporates all the best-loved flavors, shapes, and colors of the season. So stay tuned!

Thanks to all who voted and commented. (Alicia: Next time I'll include a button for "all of the above." I promise!) Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

What's Your Favorite Valentine's Day Candy?

In preparation for Valentine's Day--and a possible Valentine's-themed cookie, I decided to do a little market research. What kind of candy makes your heart sing?

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Poll Roundup XV

According to my Large, Flat, and Crunchy or Small, Plump, and Chewy? poll, texture--not size--is what matters most. The supermajority of you like your chocolate chip cookies chewy, regardless of whether they're large or small.

Fans of the chewy should check out my Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. But fret not fans of the crispy: I'll have a chocolate chip cookie recipe for you soon. Stay tuned!

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Large, Flat, and Crunchy or Small, Plump, and Chewy?

Jon and Lorelei gave me the idea for this poll.

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Poll Roundup XIV

According to my "He Sees You When You're Sleeping..." poll, two-thirds of you agree with me that Mumma's 5'-foot tall Santa is creepy, not cute.

Sorry, Mumma! But that thing's eyes totally follow you around the room.

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

"He Sees You When You're Sleeping..."

Mumma said her new 5'-tall Santa is "cute." His eyes follow you, so I covered his head with a napkin. I said that when all the lights are out and everyone's asleep, this thing steps down from his stand, walks around, and makes some devilish plans. What do you think? Is this Santa cute or creepy?

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Poll Roundup XIII

According to my Christmas Cravings poll, the flavor people are looking forward to the most this season is gingerbread. Mmmm...gingerbread men and gingerbread houses. Now you're talking Christmas!

It looks like I've already got this flavor covered. All you lovers of gingerbread should check out my Redheads Cookies.

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Thanks to all who already voted, especially those of you who left comments for choosing "other." I'm going to try to come up with some recipes that capture your favorite Christmastime flavors in cookie form. Stay tuned!

Christmas Cravings

The Christmas Season®™ seems to start earlier and earlier each year. Duane Reade (an omnipresent NYC drug store chain) put up its Christmas stuff the day after Halloween, and Mumma tells me that Macy's (in Massachusetts) started its holiday blitz back in August. It's as if poor Thanksgiving is but a speed bump on the way to 12/25. I wish you a merry turkey indeed.

But, despite the focus on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and state of the economy, Christmas is a time for peace on Earth, good will toward men, and--of course--eating.

Though we're several weeks away from the main event, what Christmas flavors are you looking forward to most? In other words: What treats will you be having when you watch the kid stick his tongue to a frozen flagpole?

(If you choose "Other," please list your pick in the comments. Thanks!)

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Poll Roundup XII

According to my Save Room for Dessert! poll, more than two-thirds of you declared pie your favorite Thanksgiving dessert.

Though I am the Oatmeal Cookie Guy, I am going to have pie in addition to cookies when I host Thanksgiving this Thursday. Stay tuned for an apple pie recipe...with from-scratch crust!

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Thanks to all who already voted, especially my readers north of the border, who celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday, October 13.

Save Room for Dessert!

It's poll time again.

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Poll Roundup XI

According to my Talkin' Turkey poll, more than half of you are planning to have traditional Thanksgiving meals.

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and had originally planned to do something entirely nontraditional: eggplant parmesan. But I'm also going to do a small turkey breast, gravy, and stuffing. You know...all the stuff to make leftover turkey sandwiches (but I guess they'll be more first run than leftover). So count me among those who chose "eclectic."

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in. Thanks to all who already voted, especially those ex-pats out there. (I'm talking to you Belgium and London!)

Talkin' Turkey

I know it's a little early to start thinking about turkey and all that, but Jon and I will be playing host to Mumma, my brother, and sister-in-law this Thanksgiving. Regular readers know I'm from cranberry country, which also happens to be next door to pilgrim country. Our family Thanksgivings have been pretty traditional, with the turkey, gravy, stuffing/dressing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, pearled onions, and on and on...and on. Oh! And don't forget the pies. And cheesecakes.

We'll be in New York City this year, not Plymouth County, Massachusetts, so some twists on the traditional are a must. And I'll be doing the cooking, so unless everyone wants to eat cookies for dinner, the star of this year's Thanksgiving is going to be eggplant parmesan.

All this menu planning got me thinking about what others do for Thanksgiving. Do you keep it traditional, go off on an Asian-fusion tangent, or do a bit of the old mixed with the new?

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PS: For those who are interested, here are some photos I took of Plymouth Rock and its portico when I was home for the Cranberry Harvest Festival. (I tried to take a few snaps of Mayflower II, but there was a line of tour buses blocking it from view.)

The portico and a view of Plymouth Harbor.

The rock itself. Sorry about the shadows!

Poll Roundup X

According to my Autumn Spice and Everything Nice poll, cinnamon--by  practically a 6-1 margin--is the most popular fall flavor.

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Thanks to all who already voted and to those who commented. Jem got me thinking about cardamom (and the cardamom and rosewater cookie I was thinking about doing last spring), and Alicia reminded me how well black pepper works in spice cookies and cakes.

I don't know about you, but I think an "Autumn Spice and Everything Nice" cookie is in order.

Autumn Spice and Everything Nice

After I made my ginger-rich Redhead cookies, I started thinking about autumn spices. (Nothing smells better to me than late-September air mixed with freshly baked apple pie. Mmmm.) What's your favorite fall flavor? There just might be a cookie in it for you...

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Poll Roundup IX

According to my Chiming In on Chocolate poll, dark chocolate was --by far--respondents' favorite variety of chocolate.

I figured that milk chocolate would have won, but my audience has tres sophisticated tastes!

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

And thanks to all who already voted, especially those of you from as far away as Brussels, Belgium; Tallinn, Estonia; Santiago, Chile; and Anchorage, Alaska.

Chiming In on Chocolate

After I made my (Dark) Chocolate Orange in the Coconut cookies, I started thinking about what kind of chocolate people would like best in a cookie.

For some people, chocolate is like air: can't live without out it! Some people could do without chocolate altogether, thank you very much. My dad wasn't a fan of chocolate, but he did enjoy a little bit of white chocolate once in a while. I'm chip off the old block--sorta. Sometimes I have a serious craving for a Snickers, and sometimes I don't even want to look at an M&M. Go figure...

Chime in on your chocolate choice. This research, I'm sure, will help me make an even better cookie for chocolate lovers!

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Poll Roundup VIII

According to my Cookies at What Cost? poll, it looks like there are some big cookie-spenders out there. A full quarter of respondents said there was no limit to what they would pay for a bakery-made cookies. No limit? Oh my! I should totally charge for my cookies.

I guess I'm cheap. I said $1 was my limit! (Maybe I should have voted for "Pay for cookies? Are you kidding!?")

Voting still remains open, so feel free to weigh in.

Cookies at What Cost?

Apropos of my trip to Levain Bakery and the news that Mrs. Fields filed for bankruptcy, I thought I'd check in with you all to see what your price limit is on a single cookie. Are there tough times ahead for high-end "gourmet" cookies? Or is taste, not price, the determining factor?

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