Cooking with A.I.: Chocolate Chip Cookies
As the first episode in this series, I didn’t really know what to expect from ChatGPT. Would he (I think it’s a he?) produce recipes that actually turn out an edible product? Would he cobble together random amounts of ingredients that barely resemble human food? In this episode, it turns out ChatGPT knows how to make a pretty darn good chocolate chip cookie. I’m not, however, going to credit him with inventing something extraordinary or patenting a new method for achieving cookie perfection. It’s a basic chocolate chip cookie that also includes pecans. Maybe the proportions are something I can give him credit for. The cookies are perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. The bottoms get nicely browned while the top stays just underdone. There’s the perfect amount of chocolate. And they don’t spread too much. Robot 1. Humans…also 1? because I got to eat them?
Around 40 cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (125g) chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F with a rack set in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well combined and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans, if using.
Drop 2 tbsp. sized mounds of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets (an ice cream scoop makes quick work of this), leaving about 1.5 inches of space between each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, one tray at a time, until the edges are golden and the center is no longer wet. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
