Pretty chocolate chip cookies = take the dough ball out of the scoop. Grasp the opposite curving sides, flat plane down, and then pull apart the mass to create two ragged-edged pieces. Now, jam the flat surfaces together, creating a ragged-topped precisely-measured lump. I swear, it's a little neurotic (blame _Cooks Illustrated_ ), but it does produce cookies with a slightly craggier top surface. I may have to try these - I'm partial to a recipe that calls for (corn syrup?) and melted butter - I use Lyle's Golden Syrup for a richer flavor. I think it's my hybrid of a KAF recipe and the CI method, but I may be wrong. E Eric, I could try this - it's the plucking all of the top-surface chocolate chips out of each cookie by hand and turning them so their points are upright, as suggested by the NYT, that I balk at! I actually did try it, believe it or not... terminally sticky. But I do remember CI suggesting the method you describe. - PJH

• Reply