The Secret to Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why is that whenever you see a recipe with the finished cookies pictured and then try to duplicate those cookies they never come out "just right"? It's like the fast food commercials that tempt you with a big juicy hamburger perfectly sitting on a fresh bun and when you actually purchase the burger, what you get is a shriveled piece of meat stuck between two flattened pieces of bun!

Do you want your chocolate chip cookies to come out soft and chewy every single time? The secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies is really very simple! And you can make them with any chocolate chip recipe at your disposal.

The problem with most chocolate chip cookie recipes is they have you drop a spoonful on a cookie sheet and bake them for 9 to 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. That is too long! By the time the tops are golden brown, your bottoms are dark brown, or worse, burnt. After the cookies have baked this long, removing them from the oven in this over-baked condition and having them stand only causes them to harden up like jawbreakers. Instead of soft, chewy cookies that melt in your mouth, you end up with hard, crunchy cookies with burnt bottoms.

Dropping larger amounts on the cookie sheet to make bigger cookies doesn't work. It takes longer for the middle of the cookie to bake and you still end up with burnt bottoms and hard cookies.

Instead of following the recipe instructions to bake 9 to 12 minutes, underbake your cookies by a couple of minutes. The first time you try this, you will have to play around with the time and the size of your cookie drops to get the perfect chocolate chip cookie for your oven. But, as a general rule, after you put your cookie tray in your oven (always on the top rack), set your timer for 6 to 8 minutes. When you pull your cookies out, the entire top should NOT be golden brown. Instead, the peaks of the top of the cookie should just be turning brown. At this time, the entire bottom of your cookie is golden brown and the rest of cookie is the same color as the batter.

Remove the cookie tray from the oven and let them stand for a minute or so since the cookies will be incredibly soft and will fall apart if you try to immediately remove them from the cookie sheet. After they have firmed up a bit, remove them from the cookie sheet to your cooling rack or a piece of wax paper.

With this method, you are guaranteed to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies and have people asking you what YOUR secret is!

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until peaks in top of cookie are starting to brown. Let stand for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks or wax paper to cool completely.

Munich Hotels - Find the Perfect Hotel Location

There are hundreds of Munich hotels to choose from and they are scattered all over the city centre, in the suburbs and near the airport. Here, we take a closer look at some of the most popular hotel locations in the city and what they have to offer.

Munich hotels in Altstadt

The 'Alstadt' is Munich's heartbeat - the very centre of the city and translates as 'Old Town'. It is bounded by the innermost ring road in the city known as the 'Altstadtring'. Parts of the old city walls also define the area and is most recognisable at Stachus where you can see the old city gates.

The Alstadt is the tourist hub of the city with many of the city's beautiful squares and shopping zones located here such as Karlsplatz and Marienplatz - two of the city's most famous squares. The Marienplatz Square is the city's focal point and is home to some top attractions like the Mariensaule Column, the New Town Hall, the Old Town Hall and the Fish Fountain.

There are lots of Munich hotels located in the Alstadt district, so book one of these if you want to be in the thick of all the action, with attractions, shops and nightlife just steps from your hotel door.

Munich hotels in Schwabing

If you're coming to Munich and nightlife is high on your travel itinerary, then you may consider booking a Munich hotel in the Schwabing district. It can be found north of the city centre and is renowned for its bohemian, artsy and laid-back atmosphere. Tourists and locals flock here to enjoy its wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and some of the most beautiful beer gardens (many situated in the park!). There's also a wide variety of disco bars and clubs to choose from and the area is also popular for concerts.

Englischer Garten is also located in this district. It's the city's public park and is about twice the size of New York's Central Park. It is definitely worth exploring it and a good way to do so is hire a bike.

There are a good variety of Munich hotels located in the Schwabing district

Munich hotels in Haidhausen

If you cross the River Isar and go east of the Old Town you'll enter the Haidhausen district. It's mainly a residential district but it's also the location of the legendary 'Kultfabrik' which is one of the best party districts in Europe! It used to be a large noodle factory but is now home to an incredible maze of 30-40 bars and clubs!

With so much nightlife to be enjoyed in this area, there's plenty of hotels for you to stay at.

Hotels near Messe Munich

Munich is a one of the top destinations in Europe for trade fairs. It has upto 40 major trade fairs a year attracting over 2 million visitors from all over the globe. It can be found approx 10 km east of the city centre just off the Autobahn 94. There are lots of Munich hotels just minutes from Messe Munich. Many are business friendly while many are family friendly and perfect if you want to be apart from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Munich hotels near Hauptbahnhof

The Hauptbahnof is Munich's main railway station and one of the largest train stations in all of Germany. It serves long distance trains from other European destinations like Prague and Budapest as well as destinations in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France.

Regional trains arrive here from all over Germany and local traffic in the form of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn.

If you're arriving and departing from Munich by train then you may consider getting a hotel close to the Haupbahnof. There are Munich hotels literally across the street from the station while others can be found in the surrounding streets.

The good thing about staying here is that you're also within walking distance of the Old Town and Karlsplatz. The city's museum district to the north is also not far away by foot.

Munich Hotels near the Airport

Franz Josef Strauss International Airport lies 28km north east of the city centre and is the 2nd biggest airport in Germany. It is well connected to the city centre via the S-Bahn but there are also plenty of Munich hotels located here if you want to get a good nights rest before an early flight.

Now have you decided which part of the city you would like to stay in? Next is to decide your budget. There are hotels in Munich to suit every pocket from cheap hotels in Munich like 1 star hotels to plush 5 star hotels. You can book anything from a pet-friendly hotel to a spa hotel or a business hotel to a boutique hotel.

The price you pay will also depend on what time of the year you visit Munich. If you come during a trade fair you may find that hotel prices are significantly dearer while if you decide to come for the world-renowned Ocktoberfest you could be paying ridiculously high prices for your hotel room. To avoid this, you need to book your hotel room at least 3 months in advance.