I try making the viral 'Famous Amos' cookies and the results are delicious, but not quite the original

It's hard to ignore a Facebook post that says they are sharing the Famous Amos cookie recipe. Especially when it's during the enforcement of heightened circuit breaker measures, where confectioneries and dessert shops are asked to close. 

At least that's the impression that we get since Facebook user Baizura Muhammad's Famous Amos recipe was shared 214,000 times and counting. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/baizura.muhammad/posts/3005825746123675[/embed]

Though Famous Amos has since shared that they are re-opening from May 13 in Singapore, we decided to put the recipe to the test and see if it'll keep our cookie cravings at bay. After all, we can't be sure that we'll be able to get our orders in, given the kiasu-ness of our fellow Singaporeans.

Here's the recipe I used, with the quantity of the ingredients halved from the original Facebook post, and even then, I got a mountain of cookies. 

Of if you prefer following a video to make morsels of goodness, check out this video below:

Ingredients

Makes approximately 80 bite-sized cookies

• 125g butter
• 125g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Facebook post states a small spoon of vanilla extract)
• 1/2 beaten egg
• 160g wheat flour
• 32g corn flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (Facebook post states a small spoon of baking powder)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (Facebook post states a small spoon of baking soda)
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 175g chocolate chips

Optional almond nibs can be added in together with the chocolate chips.

Steps 

1. Place the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and egg into a mixing bowl and mix well with a spatula. Baizura advises against using a mixer and recommends using a spatula, spoon or even your hands.

2. Add wheat flour, corn flour, baking soda, baking powder and canola oil to the mixture and stir in slowly. The resulting mixture is sticky and smooth.

3. Add in the chocolate chips and mix evenly into the mixture.

 

4. Place mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and heat up the oven to 150 degree Celcius. When removed from the fridge, the batter is firmer to the touch and can be more easily rolled into balls.

5. Roll dough into small, bite-sized knobs. You don't need to press the dough down as it will naturally spread during the baking process. 

6. Bake each tray for approximately 20 minutes for a crispy cookie texture. Adjust according to your oven as every oven bakes best at different temperatures to get a nice golden brown sheen. 

 

The verdict: Try it

The resulting cookies are nice and crispy, While the flavours are pretty similar to what you get from Famous Amos outlets, my cookies are nowhere as thick as the original ones are. 

Mine spread out a lot thinner, so a bit of tweaking to the amount of flour and baking soda may be required. 

Still, given the rate that the cookies are being eaten at home, it is a good recipe to use if you prefer your cookies crispy rather than chewy.

As for whether it is kid-friendly, it is an overwhelming yes, as no fancy machinery is required and I reckon that it's the perfect parent-and-child bonding activity. 

 

We found another recipe in the meantime, of a young Malaysian boy making "copycat Famous Amos" cookies and we think that we'll give this a go next. 

Click here for AsiaOne's Circuit Breaker Survival Guide (CBSG)

kailun@asiaone.com