Chocolate Chip Cookie Craving

[foodforus]

Okay, many posts on this topic before, but I am having a chocolate chip cookie craving emergency! I am looking for the ones that are slightly crunchy on the edges and gooey soft in the middle. I prefer semi-sweet chips or dark. Could be with walnuts. I haven't had a good one since the eating some from Deluscious Cookies and Milk (https://delusciouscookies.com) which only delivers. I want to go out and get them today!
Anyone been "wowed" lately?

Thanks!

[Diana]

I am always wowed by the cookies at Leda's Bake Shop. I have had all the "good" cookies in LA, and Leda's are my favorite behind my husband's home made. Her other cookies are good, too. Plus, she's very free with the samples! I also love her lemon bars, blondies, brownies, scones, cupcakes and cakes. She even has a vegan line!

http://www.ledasbakeshop.com/traditio...

[foodforus]

Thanks everyone so far! :) I should have said that I didn't want to make myself, although the recipe you suggested maisonbistro looked awesome!

[Emme]

Honestly, COSTCO has stellar chocolate chip cookies that taste amazing if you nuke 'em in the microwave for 15 seconds or so until the chocolate gets just shiny and gooey.

[bulavinaka]

I like them in the toaster oven for about a minute... the wait is a little longer but I think it's worth it.

Trader Joe's has some in those in the brown bags with the foldable top. Not the vegan stuff but the regular ones are also good nuked or in the toaster.

[Densible]

The TJ cookies are very good indeed. They taste practically homemade. I make ice cream sandwiches with them for informal dinner parties or bbq dessert or when alone and in a certain mood, I'll have one for dinner.

[liu]

Ditty Reese in Westwood...but they must be eaten within 5 seconds of purchase!

[Diana]

You mean Diddy Reese?

[Professor Salt]

Try again

[liu]

Whhhoooooops!
Any way you spell them...Y-U-M!
Thanks, Diana and Professor Salt for catching that! I really do try to be accurate about such things...but just the thought of a Diddy Riese chocolate chip cookie made my eyes water so that I no longer could see what I was typing...

[nosh]

I am a big Diddy Riese fan, and have repeatedly suggested to the owner that he institute a cookie car service to those potential patrons during the evening circling the block hoping for parking. I actually like my choc chip cookies (no nuts, thank you) a bit crisper, which is achieved with a short time in the 'fridge.

[liu]

Actually, I think this is precisely why their cookies are so good. After spending an hour trying to park, anything would be great!!! It's part of the whole experience, don't you think?!!

Nosh -- I think your car service idea is an ingenious one...or perhaps they could "obtain" the parking lot on the corner. Diddy Riese with a parking lot...it gives a whole new definition to this amazing cookie shop!

[Mallory]

lol

[ipsedixit]

Cakewalk Bakery in downtown.

www.cakewalkbakery.net

[paprkutr]

Julienne's in San Marino, Pasadena area, at the end of Mission, has the best cookies. They are called jumbles, and are big with currants, lots of chocolate chips, and nuts. they also have lots of others.. I buy them by the dozens, and they freeze well. They are reasonably price around 2.25, but they are really big, and crisp.

[tatertotsrock]

Trader Joes has the frozen cookie dough balls that come out super sizzly-crispy on the edges and yummy-gooey in the center. only about 12 minutes to cook and worth the wait. Don't get the ones in the refrig section near the pizza dough..totally different.
The ones in the FROZEN section are the ones to get.
YUM

[Josh90004]

You actually cook them?? hmm never tried that :-P

[tatertotsrock]

Ssshhh, don't tell anyone...i think I get about 4 done in the oven while I'm eating the rest of the dough balls-ya know, quality control.

[meatlessinla]

Square One Dining
The chocolate spreads throughout the cookie more like zebra stripes than chips. The exterior crunch gives way to the soft chewey middle.

[the capers]

i second this! square one has the most amazing chocolate chip cookies i have ever had! its almost like a puff pastry dough but with chocolate instead of butter defining the layers (and cookie dough instead of dough). the only problem is they sometimes run out towards the end of the day. but i asked the manager if we could reserve or order them ahead of time and he said that would be fine.

[foodforus]

Thanks to all!! The update in my immediate fix/quest was while doing my "regular" shopping at TJs I saw the one's bulavinaka first mentioned, the one ins the "brown bag". I was skeptical and then opened after I got home - they are really super! They are called "Chocolate Chunk Cookies". They are just what I was looking for in my craving pinch. Chewy, but not rubbery. Great slightly warmed. Seems like you need to eat within a day or so othewise I can see where they would loose there quality. I am still going to make a plan to try Diddy Reese, Square One (which is near me in Hollywood) and of course when I make my own (when the weather gets a little cooler) the Anna Olsen recipe. Also, for when you all make your own an interesting twist is to try the Fire Red Chocolate Chips from Vosages, http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/catego.... They make a very "different" chocolate chip experience.

Have a great Sunday all!

Cheers!

[bulavinaka]

Those TJ's cookies probably do turn into shingles after a couple of days once opening the bag but in our home, they never get the chance to last that long.
Might to old trick of placing a piece of white sandwich bread in with the cookies help them stay longer? I used to do this with my Mrs. Fields cookies back in the day... But if I recall, those never hung around for more than two or three days either...

[Densible]

I put them in a cookie tin with a parchment liner and they keep for at least a week.

[foodforus]

Okay - I thought I wouldn't post again on this topic, at least not this weekend BUT I went to visit a friend today and was conveniently close to Diddy Reese! My son and BF were with me and of course they both scarfed the ice cream cookie sandwiches. I didn't hear a peep ffrom either one for a full 10 minutes! And I bought the dozen in a box for only $4.75 to bring home! I haven't tasted them yet but what a bargain! I felt compelled to buy 12 since I don't make it to Westwood very often. Sonow I have the dillema of TJ's or Diddy Reese, oh poor me!!!!!

[Foodandwine]

Diddy Riese.. wow I love that place. My favorites are white choclate macadamia nut/choclate chip with coffee ice cream and Sugar/ M&M with Vanilla Ice Cream. Here is a tip you can call ahead and ask for a dozen assorted (make it easy on them) they make them and deep freeze them for a few hours. I think that they like 3 hour advance notice and if your going to a party or a friends home for dinner it make a great dessert to bring along. At $16 bucks a dozen you will be invited back for sure..

[empfam]

Word of warning about Diddy Riese. Yes, the cookies are good when they're FRESH, but somehow they just don't hold up very well after the first day. They get stale ridiculously quickly. If you're going to buy extras, then freeze them or store them with a piece of bread or something. But just leaving them out at room temperature will leave you with hockey pucks.

[Foodandwine]

I actually like those hocky pucks.. Very crispy is the way I like my cookies. perhaps they dont use the preservatives that are found in most bagged cookies that you find in suprmarkets. BTW, if you like em crispy they have bags of "day old" at Diddy as well for a couple of bucks.. I think its a dozen for $2 but I am unsure never bought them.. but with empfan's remark(hgockey puck) I will do so next time..

[choctastic]

Trader Joes has vegan chocolate chip cookies that are pretty good too, if pricey.

[sel]

Can you say Breadbar? Kinda large and fairly thin with slightly crispy edges and soft middle, high quality chocolate - so good after one of their excellent burgers and crispy herb dusted fries!!! Tasty and beautiful to look at bread too!

http://www.breadbar.net/index.html

[chowchow12345678]

I love Trader Joe's frozen chocolate chip cookies that you bake yourself -- I like these much more than their ready-to-eat chocolate chunk cookies which I find too sweet. The frozen ones have just the right amount of sugar. I too like my chocolate chip cookies to be slightly crunchy on the edges, moist and chewy inside, with dark chocolate chips.

[brandygirl]

The best choc. chip cookie I've ever eaten was from the bakery inside The Ivy on Robertson. Perfect crispness on the outside with just the right amount of chocolate chips and nuts.

[Overdrawn]

I had a fabulous cookie at Jamaica's Cakes on Pico near to the San Francisco Saloon. She does mostly fancy special occasion cakes but there's a pastry case at the counter and I've never been disappointed.

[Emme]

If for some reason you ever have to have a procedure and be hospitalized, choose Cedars-Sinai... the chocolate chip cookies are fantastic and come in a little aluminum pan, warm and gooey... when I was a kid, my mom was in the hospital for 10 days or so, and she would always save her cookie for me...

[melissalf04]

Has anyone mentioned Clementine in Century City? see www.clementineonline.com
Their chocolate chip cookies are LOADED with chocolate. Crispy, gooey and chewy -- everything a c/c cookie should be. :-)

[keepon]

Second clementine's chocholate chip cookie. You get chocolate with every single bite.
Tips: If you go there on weekday late afternoon, sometimes they'll give you chocolate chip cookies for free (with other puchases). I was given free cookies a couple of times.

[jerseygirldawn]

I love OtisSpunkenmeyers. They are hard to find though! They are usually in hotel/apartment lobbies.
Kookaroo chains have the cookies by the registers and they are pretty nice too.

I prefer cookies when the chocolate chips are gooey. Any other places? I dont live far from Snookies so I'm going to give them a try.

[Cordsniper]

I love Otis Spunkmeyer cookies but I haven't seen them anywhere in years. When they are still warm out of the oven they are out of this world!

[Raspberries]

The chocochip cookies from Rockenwagner booth at the Farmer's Markets (I'm thinking of the Wed Santa Monica market specifically) are one of my faves, because they have walnuts, which IMHO are absolutely essential for flavor, texture, and aroma.

If buying chocochip cookies from TJs, I typically opt for the larger ones that come on the little plastic tray and not the little ones in the paper bag. I think they come with a dozen cookies (also come in oatmeal raisin) and are a bit cake-ier as opposed to the soft and chewy guys.

[bulavinaka]

You may or may not have tried Rockenwagner's other chocolate chip cookie - the slightly mountainous one that is made with a deep rich chocolate dough as well as chocolate chunks and walnuts. For me, it's been my favorite cookie for a couple of years now.

[Mallory]

if you're on Beverly just shy of LaBrea ,try Milk. Their Ooey-Gooey double chocolate chip is wonderful!.

[Raspberries]

Have tried it, and while it's pretty good, I'm not enough of a chocoholic to really love it. Hence the perfection of the chocochip cookie WITH nuts: gives me just enough interest and distraction from the chocolate. Anybody know of other noteworthy representations of chocolate chip cookie with nuts?

[tablefor1]

Just tried one at LAMILL this past weekend - made me a believer! Beautifully crackly surface, crispy edges, soft gooey middle.

[ns1]

Nazo's Bakery in DTLA

[sarcasmsk]

I know it may sound weird, but Blue on Blue at the Avalon Hotel has AMAZING COOKIES. Food and drinks are great and all, but the cookies are the best thing going for the place

[Wolfgang]

Clementine in Century City has my favourite chocolate chip cookie. It's exactly as you described. A little crispy around the edges giving way to a softer center. $1.60 each.

[Norm Man]

Consider the Chocolate Chip Cookie at The Curious Palate on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/599621