#18. Chocolate chip cookie (with chocolate chips omitted)

This is entry number 18 of my newsletter, A small list of knowable things. As a reminder, if you are reading this entry but haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet, you can subscribe here. Thank you for reading, as always!

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Here’s a personality test that I’ve come up with that I’m going to use on every person I meet from now on: imagine a chocolate chip cookie, but without any chocolate chips — would it be pointless or would it be the greatest cookie in the world?

I don’t know what each answer really means, but for years, Elissa and I have stood on opposite sides of this. She thinks chocolate chip cookies are absolutely perfect the way they are. And I… and I know this might be blasphemous, but… I don’t really love the chocolate chip part of the cookie. I feel like it gets in the way of the buttery, chewy, caramelly, perfect cookie part. The chocolate (even when it’s dark chocolate!) is too sweet. It’s too much of a hit of concentrated chocolatiness and it overwhelms the subtle, nuanced, cookie part of the cookie.

This gets to my thesis on the chocolate chip cookie. The best part of the chocolate chip cookie isn’t the chocolate chip part — it isn’t even the interplay and contrast between the chocolate and the cookie! — it’s just the cookie part. But for some reason we have to deal with the chocolate chips. So why not just get rid of the chocolate chip part? Make it 100% the cookie part!

Well, this week we finally put this theory to the test (i.e. Elissa finally let me sacrifice a batch of what would be perfectly good chocolate chip cookies to make a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips added to it at the end).

And let me tell you… the resulting cookie is phenomenal.

Even Elissa said, and I quote, “I don’t… hate it.”

Success.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate chip cookies (with chocolate chips omitted):

It’s my new favorite cookie in the world. It’s simple. Understated. Balanced. It doesn’t need the bells and whistles of a snickerdoodle or a gingersnap. It isn’t as intensely sweet as a sugar cookie. And best of all… no overwhelming chocolate. All cookie in every bite.

Try it. Let me know what you think. And get ready for your life to change forever.

Just look at how beautiful this thing is.

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If you liked this piece, I think you might like mine and Elissa's little instagram cooking account: @thesunkitchen.

We're currently taking a bit of a break from it, but it's where we've collected a bunch of our favorite recipes and dishes that we've made during the pandemic. Thank you for reading!

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From quietly provocative international best selling author and TV writer Jonny Sun, A small list of knowable things is a weekly illustration and reflection on a personal object close to his heart. If you haven't already, you can subscribe here.