Ginormous Chocolate Chip Birthday Cookies
Categories: All, Cookies, Desserts, Recipes
Tags: , Allergy Friendly, Baking Tips, Birthday Cookie, Chocolate, Cookie Cake, Cookie Pizza, Dairy Free, Desserts, GFCF, Gluten Free Birthdays, Vegan
How do you make my famous chocolate chip cookies any better? Well, first, you make a mix, so there’s no measuring out dry ingredients and no excuses not to make them more often. Then, you make a ginormous (yes, this is a word – I saw it displayed on a dinosaur on my son’s 3rd grade classroom, so it must be a word, right?) version of this incredible, chewy and delicious cookie.
At first I thought I needed an occasion for such an auspicious cookie. So, I waited until Mary’s birthday. (Mary, in case you don’t know, is the dear friend who constantly reminds me that my cookie mix should have been named “Mary’s Cookie Mix.”) Mary is a chocolate chip cookie-a-holic. And although she is anything but gluten-free, she thinks my (GF) chocolate chip cookies are the best ever. In fact, she gets a little sore at me when we get together and I don’t bring her some.
Giant GF oatmeal cookie with regular size cookie in front.
But anyway, back to the cookie. It was Mary’s birthday in 2010, and she was coming over for dinner, so I decided to make the biggest, chewiest, chocolatey-est cookie ever. My kids even helped me write a birthday message to Mary on top in icing! Problem was, I made it too late in the day and we just had to eat it before I could get a decent photograph (see the hastily-shot photo while candles melting…!). Plus, I had some ideas of how to make it even better next time.
So, with no occasion in mind, I decided to make another. This time I used my pizza pan with lots of holes in it (Mary still had my round cookie sheet) and I covered it with foil. It baked beautifully and was much chewier this time baked at a reduced temperature. But, once again, we ate it too fast to really get a good picture.
So, I just had to make another. This time I measured everything out and took diligent notes for you so you know exactly how to replicate this delicious experiment. And in case you’re wondering, my new record for a perfectly chewy, melt-in-your mouth yummy ginormous chocolate chip cookie is 13 decadent inches.
Mary’s Birthday Cookie 2011
I made another for her birthday dinner this week, although this time – in her honor – I added 4x the normal measure of chocolate chips! Too much for me (I’m a cookie girl, not so much a chocolate girl!), but she was thrilled. It reminded me again why cookies are perhaps the best canvas for a birthday cake: add, subtract, embellish as you like. When it’s your birthday cookie – make it like you wanna!
(Follow the homemade directions below or use one bag of Jules Gluten Free™ Cookie Mix. Once you make your cookie, you’ll still have enough dough left to make about 18 normal-person sized cookies! BONUS!)
Jennifer at The GF Advocate shared the yummy birthday cookie she made using M&Ms!
- 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1/2 cup shortening (Earth Balance® Shortening Sticks)
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (or egg substitute like Ener-G®)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour (*at altitude, add 1/4 cup more of Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour)
- 8-10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or a mixture thereof (Chocolate Dream® Baking Chips – dairy-free OR Enjoy Life® Mini Chips – dairy, nut and soy-free)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)
Bring the butter and shortening to room temperature, then beat together with sugars until light and fluffy – several minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs until combined.
In another bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (or add Jules Gluten Free™ Cookie Mix). Gradually stir these dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Stir in chips and nuts, if so desired.
Leave 2 inches for cookie to spread when baking.
Measure out 1.5 pounds of dough (or approximately 3/4 of the dough you have). Spread to 3/4 inches thick in a circle on a pizza pan covered with parchment or oiled foil, or an oiled round cookie sheet (don’t use an air-bake pan). Leave 2-3 inches of space between the dough and the edge of the pan to accommodate spread during baking. Cover with foil and freeze for at least 2 hours. Scoop remaining dough (approximately .8 pounds or 1/4 of total dough) into a container (metal, if possible) and cover tightly. Refrigerate or freeze until very cold (overnight is ideal).
Preheat oven to 300° F (static) or 275° F (convection).
Bake ginormous cookie for 30 minutes. Check at that point – mine needed an extra 2 minutes (32 minutes total). The middle should be cooked but will still be soft; as it cools, it will firm, but if you leave the cookie in the oven until it is hard, it will be a “Chips a Hoy”-style ginormous cookie!
Remove to cool and frost or write in icing at that point if desired. Serve by cutting in pie-shaped wedges with a pizza cutter.
For remaining dough, preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
Drop by measured teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or just until the tops are lightly browned. Let them stand 5 minutes before removing them to cooling racks. You should have enough left over dough to get 18 or so extra cookies.
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Donna said: on November 27, 2010
I have made a ginormous (pizza pan cookie we call it) cookie for years with regular flour. I have found that when it is somewhat cooled if you sprinkle the top with just a little powdered sugar it give it a very nice finished look.
Jules said: on August 28, 2011
I love that idea! Thanks!!!
Shirley @ gfe said: on September 23, 2011
First, you’ll be happy to know that ginormous is actually a word! It was added to the dictionary a year or so ago. (Now words get added to the dictionary if they are used often.) What a tragedy that you had to keep making all those ginormous cookies! LOL I think that I’d agree with you on the chocolate chips. I love chocolate, but chooclate chips can’t fully be appreciated without enough cookie around them.
xo,
Shirley
Trish said: on September 23, 2011
Once again, Jules, you ROCK! I’ll be baking this bad boy during this rainy, dreary weekend! Thanks!
Jules said: on September 26, 2011
Great Trish – so glad you had a fun recipe for a dreary weekend!
Diana Novellano said: on September 23, 2011
My husband is lactose intolerant so I took all the dairy out of the house and addes alternatives. Most alternatives have soy in them. Come to find out I almost killed him because now we find out he is allergic to soy. Ugh. Is there another alternative to the earth balance shortening sticks? They have soy and so do most other shortenings that I have seen. Or should I just add more butter? Thank you!
Carol Yale said: on September 23, 2011
There is a non soy shortening called Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening.
Renee said: on September 24, 2011
Try Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening. It is made from pressed palm oil. It comes in a tub, try your local health food store. I use this because my son is allergic to soy. He was also allergic to dairy until about a year ago. I still have some on hand because sometimes you need shortening, especially for frosting.
paul li said: on September 23, 2011
I want these!! How amazing!! You are my cookie hero!
Kristi Harmel said: on September 23, 2011
I can’t wait to make the ginormous cookie so I can chillax while eating a slice!
Jules said: on September 26, 2011
Kristi – I love the idea of the word “chillax.” My new favorite word – thanks!
Dee said: on September 24, 2011
Earth Balance now has a soy-free spread.
I wonder if that would work?
Dee
Beverly said: on September 25, 2011
I think that the soy-free spread is too soft. The cookies would probably spread out and be flat and crisp. If I were to experiment with it, I would probably try 1/4 c. of the spread and 3/4 c. of the spectrum shortening.
Jules said: on September 26, 2011
Beverly – I’d agree with you that the soy-free spread would not have enough body for this recipe. A little bit for flavor could work, as you suggest. Another option is coconut oil which is akin to shortening and is a solid at room temperature. I discuss these kinds of options in Free for All Cooking - it would be a worthwhile read for anyone with more than just a gluten restriction (dairy, soy, eggs, nuts …).
roni said: on September 25, 2011
I was wondering, do I need to use Xanthan gum w/ your flours?
Jules said: on September 26, 2011
Hi Roni – no need to use xanthan gum with my all purpose flour OR mixes — in fact, DON’T add any xanthan gum. Too much can make things gummy!
Amy Ratner said: on September 26, 2011
I’ve been making “BIG” cookies for years using the Bette Hagman recipe for Butterscotch Chip cookies — I just sub chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips, which sometimes contain malt and then are not gluten free. The non gf kids in my neighborhood always request that I bring a cookie to our neighborhood gatherings. I’ve decorated them for birthdays, graduations, super bowl parties, you name it. It’s a simple way to have a dessert that tastes great and is gluten free!
Jules said: on September 29, 2011
Amy – that’s a great point about the butterscotch chips. I’ve never found any that are gluten-free, actually, so I just steer clear of those altogether!
Diane said: on September 29, 2011
Question on using your mix for the ginormous cookie–you don’t add extra sugar, do you, since there are already sugars in the mix? Do you just mix the dough like it says on your package of cookie mix and put it in the large pan?
Jules said: on September 29, 2011
Hi Diane – if you are using the mix, just follow the package directions to make the dough, then follow the directions on this recipe regarding spreading the dough out and freezing, then baking. Easy!!
Diane said: on September 29, 2011
Do you reduce your cooking time for convection ovens or just the temp?
Jules said: on September 29, 2011
Diane, I typically just reduce the oven temp by 25 degrees.
Rhonda said: on September 30, 2011
Thank you! I made this for my eight year old daughter for her birthday yesterday (using your cookie mix) and it was amazing! Best giant cookie ever. She isn’t gluten-free, but I am. What a treat to be able to have something “normal”! Even my husband said it was amazing. This was the first time I’ve used your cookie mix, but now I’m going to have to stock up.
Susan Bliss Haas said: on October 3, 2011
I substitute coconut cream for butter products and it turns out great.
Susan said: on October 3, 2011
Publix butterscotch chips are gf. You can print a list of all the Publix brand items that are gf on publix.com
Just type in “gluten” in the search field and the pdf will appear in the search list.
Julie h said: on October 8, 2011
Guittard butterscotch chips are also GF.
Jules said: on October 9, 2011
Good to know, Julie! I’ll have to look for those – thanks!
Jeanne said: on October 13, 2011
Safeway brand butterscotch chips are GF as well.
Jules said: on October 13, 2011
Thanks for the info Jeanne!
Terri D said: on December 9, 2012
This should work without the chocolate chips right? I don’t like cake and ask for giant cookies for my birthday but I don’t like chocolate chip cookies. I love a lemon frosting on a sugar cookie so I wonder what the comparison of the dough would be to a sugar cookie dough?
Jules said: on December 9, 2012
Hi Terri – it would absolutely work without the chocolate chips, but it’s still the base cookie dough for what we all know of as a chocolate chip cookie. It’s not technically the same as a sugar cookie dough, but I think it would be divine with lemon frosting (I love lemon!).
Sarah Campbell said: on March 28, 2013
The so much. This will be perfect for my daughter’s second birthday next week. She isn’t gluten free but I am. My sister in law also hates cake so this will work great!
Jules said: on March 28, 2013
Giant cookies are the perfect solution!