A Journey into Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie Land and Being a Scottish Descendant Cook

Scottish Descendant Recipe

I don’t live in Scotland, and I’ve never been to Scotland. Through my father, I do have Scotland in my genes. Through my brother, who took the Y-DNA test for me, and his ethnicity turned out to be Scottish Gael, I have Scotland in my heart.

To become acquainted with Scotland and Scottish cooking, I’ve taken advantage of some Scottish food groups on Facebook. Many Scottish cookbooks have been added to my collection, and I’ve found many Scottish recipes on the web. But, I’m still not a Scottish cook.

I am, I guess, a Scottish descendant cook, and my recipes are Scottish descendant recipes.

So, here is a Scottish Descendant Recipe for you from a Scottish Descendant Cook:

Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Pan

Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Several years ago, I was preparing for a large gathering of family. I wanted to make Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I was so busy with other things, I didn’t want to use valuable time scooping gobs of dough onto a baking sheet and waiting for them to come out of the oven, then having to repeat that process again and again until the cookie dough was gone. That would eat up too much precious time.

Nestle Chocolate Chip Recipe w/o Pan Cookie Variation

I got what I thought was a brilliant, and original, idea of mixing the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and spreading it onto a jelly roll pan, then baking it as a bar cookie would be baked. Hey, it worked! I cut the cookies into rectangular pieces and on the big day, I put them out to be consumed. They were a big hit. One older family member exclaimed, “These are better than the regular Chocolate Chip Cookie.” The same exact recipe for the regular Chocolate Chip Cookie was used, the one on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag. Who knew the shape of a cookie would make a difference in how it tasted!

Fast forward to present day cookie baking, and several recipes for Chocolate Chip cookies baked in a pan can be found on the internet. Maybe they were there, those many years ago, but not noticed by me. Most of the recipes have been changed by the cooks, in subtle ways, to make their recipe appear different from the Nestle’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. You don’t want to plagiarize a famous, beloved cookie recipe, do you? One of the recipes added two packages of instant vanilla pudding, for instance. That didn’t appeal to me, however.

Nestle Chocolate Chip Recipe with Pan Cookie Variation

What truly caught my interest, and to my mind, was an outstanding internet find for a chocolate chip pan cookie recipe. On the page, along with a picture, the recipe looked exceptionally well presented and delicious. It was exactly what I would have put into a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, if I were inventing a chocolate chip cookie recipe. It would be perfect for whipping up during the next holiday cookie baking session. So went my thinking, as I was admiring the picture on the page. I saved it in a folder on my computer, labeling it with the number one "1", to make sure it appeared first in the favorite cookie recipe lineup.

Finally, the time for baking holiday cookies rolled around this week. I printed out the extraordinary recipe I had found on my ink guzzling printer and grabbed my bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips. Low and behold, the superb recipe I had saved was the exact same recipe that is printed on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag! The cook hadn’t modified it in one single way.  I had saved a pilfered cookie recipe! The only thing different about the recipe was the name! (Well, she did make the nuts optional.) I guess, I know a good cookie recipe when I see one. That’s all I have to say about that!

Scottish Descendant Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

A Scottish Descendant's Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie Recipe (adapted from the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag)

1. Follow the Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag. 
2. Use the Pan Cookie Variation.
3. Use a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan (A 16 x 12 jelly roll pan will work. A pizza pan will, also, work or two round cake pans. For more depth to the cookie use a 9 x 12 baking pan. Adapt baking time as needed.)
   
4. After the cookie dough is spread evenly in the pan, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup extra chocolate chips over the top of the dough, because it looks good and tastes good. (A Scottish Descendant Variation) 

 Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
6. Stir in morsels and nuts.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Pan Cookie Variation: Makes 4 dozen bars.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
2. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan or use parchment paper - see above pan suggestions
   
3. Prepare dough as above. 
4. Spread into prepared pan. 
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 
6. Cool in pan on wire rack. 

To make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Another Scottish Descendant Variation)

To add richer flavor to the Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, brown the butter before adding it to the cookie dough. 

How to Brown Butter Recipe - Adapted, almost word for word, from the Land O Lakes website by a Scottish Descendant Cook

How to make Brown Butter

1. Place 1 cup butter (two sticks) into a heavy skillet or saucepan. 
2. Melt butter over medium heat. 
3. Swirl butter in pan or stir occasionally to make sure butter cooks evenly. 
4. As butter melts, it will begin to foam.  
5. Watch butter closely.
6. The color will progress from bright yellow to golden tan, then to deep golden brown quickly.
7. When you smell nutty aroma, butter is deep golden brown and browned milk solids appear in bottom of pan, remove pan from heat.
8. Add brown butter to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as replacement for regular butter.

Scottish Descendant Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie