Presidential Cookie Bake-Off: Obama wins!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's over!

The Winner of Our Presidential Cookie Bake-Off Is…

October 2, 2012 at 8:30 am

In our 2012 Presidential Cookie Bake-Off, we said it was your patriotic duty to bake, taste and vote. Did you ever—more than 9,000 readers weighed in. Victory was sweet for our current First Lady, Michelle Obama, and her White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, but just 287 votes separated the two women, our smallest margin ever. (In other words, Ann Romney’s M&M’s Cookies were no flash in the pan.) For the complete backstory, go here.

The Final Votes

Michelle Obama’s Cookies: 51.5%; 4,844 votes

Ann Romney’s Cookies: 48.5%; 4,557 votes

Will history repeat itself? Our bake-off has been a bellwether in four out of five elections, with the winner becoming First Lady. Don’t forget to vote November 6!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Insert Michelle Obama fat joke here.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Anyone else find this article annoying without the recipes ? It just directed you to another link that insisted you sign up for a newsletter just to get them Well, maybe only I was annoyed...

Anyway, I found the recipes & pics elsewhere, just in case anyone wants to make some cookies. You know you do

Michelle Obama’s White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

MAKES 5 dozen cookies

PREP 15 minutes

BAKE at 375° for 12 minutes per batch

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces)

2 cups chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Ann Romney's M&M Cookies

MAKES 3 dozen cookies

BAKE at 325° for 18 minutes per batch

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

6 ounces chocolate chips

2/3 cup M&M's

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°.

In a large bowl, cream sugars, butter, peanut butter and corn syrup on high speed until well combined.

Beat in eggs 1 at a time.

Beat in vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, mix together oats and baking soda.

Stir into peanut butter mixture until combined.

Mix in chocolate chips and M&M's.

Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets (about 9 per sheet).

Bake at 325° for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Edited October 2, 2012 by wife_of_mahmoud

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Ann's cookies look disgusting. I call, "Shenanigans!"

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Ann's cookies look disgusting. I call, "Shenanigans!"

LOL I think it's 'cause of the oatmeal... harder to photograph.

Better ?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

LOL I think it's 'cause of the oatmeal... harder to photograph.

Better ?

Yep.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Anyone else find this article annoying without the recipes ? It just directed you to another link that insisted you sign up for a newsletter just to get them Well, maybe only I was annoyed...

Anyway, I found the recipes & pics elsewhere, just in case anyone wants to make some cookies. You know you do

Michelle Obama's White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

MAKES 5 dozen cookies

PREP 15 minutes

BAKE at 375° for 12 minutes per batch

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces)

2 cups chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I'm disappointed that her recipe calls for Crisco, but I'll try it by substituting the Crisco with apple sauce.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Commie Appeaser

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I'm disappointed that her recipe calls for Crisco, but I'll try it by substituting the Crisco with apple sauce.

You could substitute up to half the Crisco with an equal amount of applesauce (up to 1/2 cup.) Any more than 1/2 cup will likely booger up the results.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You could substitute up to half the Crisco with an equal amount of applesauce (up to 1/2 cup.) Any more than 1/2 cup will likely booger up the results.

Thanks. I wasn't sure how much you can substitute without ruining the cookies. I think I'd add more butter. I saved another really choc. chip cookie recipe where the food writer says they're the best. I could post it here for you.

Best-Ever Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) European-style unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups dark chocolate chunks

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix. On low speed or by hand, stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, mixing until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Using a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or two spoons, form dough balls and place on prepared cookie sheets with a few inches of room in between. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 F with rack in the center. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Bake for 10-13 minutes (depending on the size of your dough balls), until they are golden brown around the edges and puffy in the center. Let cookies cool a few minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Commie Appeaser

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Thanks. I wasn't sure how much you can substitute without ruining the cookies. I think I'd add more butter. I saved another really choc. chip cookie recipe where the food writer says they're the best. I could post it here for you if you'd like.

I would love to see the recipe !

You can often replace shortening with butter in baking recipes, but you will need to increase the flour by at least a couple of tablespoons (as butter contains more water than shortening.) Also, you will want to watch the cookies closely during the baking - butter burns at a lower temperature than shortening, so you may need to either reduce the baking time or (perhaps) reduce the oven temperature slightly. It may take some experimenting (and repeat batches) to find the exact combination of temp/baking time with the revisions.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I would love to see the recipe !

You can often replace shortening with butter in baking recipes, but you will need to increase the flour by at least a couple of tablespoons (as butter contains more water than shortening.) Also, you will want to watch the cookies closely during the baking - butter burns at a lower temperature than shortening, so you may need to either reduce the baking time or (perhaps) reduce the oven temperature slightly. It may take some experimenting (and repeat batches) to find the exact combination of temp/baking time with the revisions.

Awesome advice. I've got a little convection oven which, IMO, works best for cookies.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Awesome advice. I've got a little convection oven which, IMO, works best for cookies.

My sister has a convection oven, but I've never really used one. I have a dual fuel 5-burner range with gas burners on top and electric oven.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My sister has a convection oven, but I've never really used one. I have a dual fuel 5-burner range with gas burners on top and electric oven.

The convection oven works great for baking. I think we bought ours at Costco for about $70 (Cuisinart). It's also a toaster/broiler.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The convection oven works great for baking. I think we bought ours at Costco for about $70 (Cuisinart). It's also a toaster/broiler.

OMG that is beautiful !

*Radically rethinks counter space allotment*....