Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies from the WFO

[rberg02]

Here's an easy dessert idea thats perfect for entertaining. We like to keep chocolate chip cookie dough in the refrigerator for a dessert that everybody seems to like - freshly baked chocolate chip cookies served hot from the wood fired oven. If we leave the door off the oven while enjoying a dinner from the WFO, (say a roast chicken), by the time the dishes are cleared, the floor temp in our Mugnaini Medio 110 seems to be perfect for baking cookies (around 350 - 375 F. floor temp + or - a few degrees ). I realized that this may not be the case in other ovens.

I place one or two half sheet pans with the cookies in the oven,partially close the door, and set the timer for about 10 minutes, checking on their progress after 7 or 8 minutes to make sure they aren't getting done too fast.

The cookie dough keeps for several days in the refrigerator (usually the dough keeps for a lot longer than it lasts
Ron

[dmun]

A hint about chocolate chip cookies: buy the big chocolate bars when they are on sale, and chop them up to use instead of the bagged chocolate chips. Much better flavor. Chocolate chips taste like parafin next to a good chocolate bar.

[El Puaco]

Chocolate? What a great idea. My usual question is "What kind of chocolate dessert are we having?" I concur about the chopped chocolate. As I recall from the "stolen" Mrs. Fields recipe, it called for both kinds and used ground oatmeal in the mix. Even richer! Thanks for the prompt!

[Richie]

Anyone ever tried cooking them in a hotter oven? Say 600 or so?

[christo]

Hi Richie,

My first experience with chocolate and oatmeal cookies was pretty much a disaster but there were a few halves of cookies that were stellar.

I think this would be somewhat similar to the 600 degree experience you were asking for - I think it's just too hot to cook them without burning or over carmelizing the sugar in them

Initial oven condition - Pizza cooking completed and no flames in the oven for an hour with door off. Lovely bride has cravings for cookies. Oven fire had burned down so largest coals the size of quarters pushed far to the back in a 1m oven. Maybe a one foot x 6 inch x 3 inch high lump of coals and ash left.

The plan was to place the cookie sheet halfway in the oven opening and rotate every 5 mins or so over the course of 20 mins to get even heat coverage.

At ll pm with little light, the first 5 mins rotation looked good. However the second rotation is where I failed - when I checked again many of the cookies were already tinged with black or very dark brown. Too much heat. Should have tried this a few times before trying it with guests....

I pulled the sheet 1-2 inches outside of the opening and finished the last 2 rotations there.

I got a bit of ribbing from my wife and guests (she wanted to cook them in the normal oven-and I insisted on the WFO), but they all went to the cookie sheet and breaking off the good parts - the ribbing turned into encouragement to try again next time - with volunteers to stand watch!!! I think they liked the pieces with a bit of carmelization but still moist on the inside. - in a normal oven when you see a cookie like that it is usually hard as a brickbat inside.

I particularly liked the oatmeal and raisin cookies....


Christo