Friday, September 12, 2008

Dark and white chocolate chunk cookies and your opinion about a magazine

Dark and white chocolate chunk cookies

Kristen left me a comment a while ago, asking my opinion about Bon Appétit’s new “look”. To be honest, I’m not so thrilled with the magazine anymore. The issues are getting thinner and thinner and each time there are more ads instead of interesting recipes and articles. Such a bummer. :(
Now I would love to hear your opinion, too – how do you like the magazine?

I did find something of my liking on their new website, though – you know me, I cannot resist a cookie recipe. Especially when the cookies are studded with big chunks of white chocolate. :)

Dark and white chocolate chunk cookies

Dark and white chocolate chunk cookies
from Bon Appetit magazine

2 2/3 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks, divided
¼ cup (½ stick/57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
½ cup (88g) packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (105g) self-rising flour
3 ½ oz (98g) high-quality white chocolate, very coarsely chopped – there was some left

Preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir 2 cups chocolate chunks with butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth; cool 10 minutes. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until well blended. In low speed, beat in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla, then flour. Stir in remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips; let stand 10 minutes – this is a very important step, since the dough is fluid and won’t set until the chocolate cools.

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches (5cm) apart. Press white chocolate pieces into top of cookies, dividing equally. Bake until cookies look puffed and slightly dry on top, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets, then carefully peel them off the paper using a wide metal spatula.

Makes about 2 dozen - I got 17 large cookies

23 comments:

The Food Librarian said...

These look grand! I find it tough to photograph dark cookies, but yours photos are, as always, fantastic!

mari said...

Sigh. The publishing world is a tough one these days. As a freelance writer I get depressed thinking about it. I like the old bon appetit magazine; I like the new. Never loved the old, don't love the new. I guess I'm somewhere in whateverland with that question.

Your choice of recipe, however, is smashing. I bookmarked it for now. I'm on a diet at the moment so it's kind of hard to look at photos of yummy cookies.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I think Bon Appetit is trying to appeal to younger cooks, and that's fine. But honestly I find that more and more I'm letting my magazine subscriptions expire, because I don't like the amount of paper that's coming into my house -- and because all of the content is available online.

Anita said...

Very delicious cookies!
I have to say my favorite food magazines have been the Australian ones for a while. Donna Hay, delicious, Vogue Entertaining and Travel...yeah, for some reason their photos and recipes just seem more appealing to me. I still glance through the American ones though, hoping to find a good article or recipe or two!

Anonymous said...

I like the old version but I hate change so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt.

But I love your cookies! Perfectly stuffed I might add.

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

I like to the new look, but prefer the old look. I agree with Lydia, it does appeal to younger cooks (I think I'm one).

And the site will of course, always be great, but there's nothing like getting a magazine in the mail

Manggy said...

Yeah, we know you can't resist a cookie recipe ;) Is it a soft cookie? That's my favorite kind.
I haven't yet seen the interior of the magazine, but the covers have been uninspired to me. They don't even bother to set tables and such anymore-- I loved the effort they put into the old magazine shoots. I have more opinions here :)

Unknown said...

your cookies look faboo!
I love BA, but am not sure I will bother renewing my (free) sub, since most of the recipes end up being available online anyway.

Simply Married said...

I actually am happy with Bon Appetit's new look. BUT.....I am new to cooking (from scratch) so I am happy to see a more "user friendly" format, but again, I'm a novice. I can see how frustrating it must be to someone who appreciated the way the magazine used to be.

I love your site and hope to (successfully) make your fabulous recipes!

brian said...

Those chocolate chunks are huge and look yummy! My litmus test for a declining food magazine is the presence of perfume and travel ads. When you start seeing those, you know that the publication is more about a "lifestyle" than cooking.

Anonymous said...

Funny you should ask...I actually enjoy the new look because it's very clean and pared down. Mind you, I'm not referring to fewer pages and more ads. I've been a long time subscriber to Bon Appetit and other food mags, but have been working to eliminate my paper subscriptions for nearly a year. Although I've not paid Bon Appetit, they continue to send the magazine and countless threats to discontinue service. It's amazing. So I guess I'll have to contact them. I, too, am enjoying the website along with others and feel that the expense of paper is a luxury I'm not comfortable with.

Those cookies are gorgeous, and I'm not sure they'd last long here!

Leonor de Sousa Bastos said...

I love your cookies dressed in blue!!

They look delicious... can I have one?

:)

Peabody said...

The new style of photography drives me INSANE. I hate it. Harsh lighting with harsh shadows. Everyone I know loved the ice cream issue and I thought is blew chunks. I have had a BA subscriptions since I was a sophmore in college(so 92) and I am not renewing my subscription next time it comes around, that is how much I dislike where their direction is going.
I like Cuisine from Home a lot better.
Cookies look fabulous btw.

Gattina Cheung said...

I don't read it, but only know your chunky cookies look super-good!

RecipeGirl said...

I think I've made these cookies before. Good stuff :)

I prefer the older style of BA too.

Elle said...

Great cookie recipe...but it wasn't in the print mag was it? The new look is not as appealing as the old. I still have saved copies of really old ones...even better :)

Anonymous said...

These look stunning! I'm horrid at photographing cookies, but yours look stellar, darling!

I've bookmarked the recipe; thanks for sharing, dearie :)

LyB said...

Those cookies look delicious! Like dark, fudgy brownies dressed up in white chocolate chunks.

As for the magazine, I've never bought it so I can't say about the new look. But I can tell you I can't stand magazines that are 50% or more advertising, drives me insane!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Food Librarian, you are far too kind, thank you!

Mari, I can see your dilemma, darling!
I hope your diet ends soon, diets suck! :)

Lydia, I was so glad when I finally found a magazine that could deliver here (I love Martha's, but they don't offer subscriptions to Brazil). But now I'm disappointed... :(

Anita, I LOVE the Aussie ones, too! I subscribe to Donna Hay and I'm a regular at Gourmet Traveller's website. I think you've said it all - they do have some amazing magazines down under! :)

Cathy, no grain of salt here - thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Nik, tks for stopping by! And I agree with you, there's nothing like getting a new magazine on the mail, it really makes my day! :)

Mark, thank you for sharing the link - I, too, was pissed at the pancakes using a mix... WTF???
There was a recent issue with an article on desserts and there were no photos - only really crappy cartoonish graphics. :\

Celine, I won't renew it too, but I'm stuck with it for a little less than 2 years. :(

Tracy, the photos used to be so good! And now... Argh!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing you opinion with me, and thank you for your kind words!

Brian, I think you have a point there, my friend.

Kelly, thank you, dear. I renewed my subscription in the beginning of this year for another 2 years but now I regret it...

leonor, thank you, darling!
Have as many as you want!
xoxo

Pea, aren't the photos kind of sloppy? I hate it too!
There are other magazines I enjoy online, but they do not offer subscriptions to Brazil. :(

Gattina, thank you, sweetie!

RecipeGirl, really? I'm glad to hear that!

Elle, it was not, my friend. I like the oldies, too. :)

Hey, darling! You are NOT - your photos are wonderful!

Deborah said...

I don't read BA, so I don't have an opinion on that, but the cookies sure do look good!!

Sarah said...

I can see why you have chosen to make these cookies. They look fabulous.

I haven't read BA in a while. there are so many food magazines out there that I usually will just pick up one when it really speaks to me.

Katie said...

The new look does bother me and I'm a young cook. I don't buy magazines to see high priced appliances I can't afford (would a young cook be able to buy any of them??). I want recipes and lots of them and pictures of what they will look like and nice stories to go with them.

Glimmer said...

Those are the best cookies that I've ever eaten!!! Thank You so much for the recipe! I've changed some of it but I linked back to Your blog from mine. If You want to see how were they: http://glimmercreations.blogspot.com/

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