Good Eats 2

Dear Alton Brown,

I'm a big fan of your show Good Eats. A couple years ago, you did a fantastic episode on the Chocolate Chip Cookie. I'm a big fan of chocolate chip cookies. The episode changed my life. Well, not really, but it did provide for me the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. In case you've forgotten, here it is:

The Chewy
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk (this is important for the "chewy" part)
2 T. milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and yolk, milk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture. Remove from mixer and stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 14 minutes.

Over the years, I've done a little experimenting with the Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Not because it's not completely acceptable as is, but just because that's kinda fun, plus I like to "Healthy-Up" my recipes a bit. Makes me feel a little less guilty about stuffing my face and 4 little faces full of cookies. Usually I just add a handful of oatmeal.

Anyway, in case you haven't heard, I just acquired a fancy-schmancy mill. So I ground some soft wheat berries to take the place of the bread flour which you suggest in your recipe. It was lovely indeed. However, I've been on this quest to find healthier sugar as well. So I totally altered your recipe in the sweetener department. Instead of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, I used the following: 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup Sucanat, 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Obviously, I should have either lessened the amount of honey or increased the amount of flour. Even though my dough spent the night in the refrigerator, my cookies flattened out completely within minutes of entering the oven...too runny. Rather than try to add more flour or throw out the dough, I dumped it all in an 8x10 baking dish and tossed it in the oven. And waited. And waited. I peeked in a few times, and I noticed that my cookie dough was taking on a very dark brown color. But I didn't smell anything burning. So I left it in and waited some more. I waited until the middle didn't jiggle anymore. And then, because I was worried this dough may forever be part of the pan if I didn't take it out, I turned off the oven and set the strange brown stuff out to cool.

Then I tasted it. And here's where I say, Move over, Good Eats, here comes something better! Alton, I'm sure you can easily tell me exactly what happened in the oven that turned my chocolate chip cookie dough into brownies. I don't know what happened, and I really don't care. But let me tell you that what I made were the most delicious brownies ever! So, while I can't promise you that I can duplicate this creation of mine, I thought it would be prudent to warn you that there is some competition out there.

Chocolatey regards,
A Fan