The Great TPG Bakeoff: We tested out Hilton DoubleTree's chocolate chip cookie recipe
Anyone who has stayed at a Hilton DoubleTree knows that the chocolate chip cookies are amazing. It's a signature of the hotel collection, and many travelers (including almost everyone at TPG) look forward to getting that freshly-baked cookie whenever we check in.
Though it may be a while before we find ourselves checking into our favorite Hilton DoubleTree again, you can still enjoy those freshly-baked cookies at home. For the first time, Hilton released a bake-at-home recipe for those famous cookies. To put it mildly, we all got very excited at TPG.
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“We know this is an anxious time for everyone,” said Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global head at DoubleTree by Hilton, in a press release on Hilton's website. “A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness."
With travel currently on hold to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we've all been looking at ways to bring some much-needed travel inspiration into our homes. What better way to bring a little bit of our travels home with us than to test out the recipe ourselves?
DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- 1/2 pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
You'll also want a large mixing bowl, standing mixer (a hand mixer will also work), parchment paper, baking sheet, baking spatula and a spoon or scoop. And don't forget to wash your hands before and after baking!
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
First, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about two minutes.
Then add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Blend with the mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for about two minutes (or until light and fluffy).
With the mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Blend for about 45 seconds — don't overmix.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add in your chocolate chips and walnuts.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop out cookies (about 3 tablespoons each) about two inches apart.
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is still soft.
According to Hilton, you can freeze the cookie dough and bake them later without needing to thaw. You can find the full, original recipe on Hilton's website.
The great TPG bake off
Four fearless TPGers decided to try baking these cookies ourselves this past weekend. We each made small adjustments to the official recipe (none of us put walnuts in our batches, for example), but they still turned out great!
Liz Hund, TPG writer
Liz's mom actually works at Hilton, so it's no surprise that her cookies turned out picture-perfect.
Liz and her family followed the recipe to the letter, save for the walnuts. I'm personally jealous of how absolutely amazing they look!
"We were so excited to make the famous Double Tree cookies and we were surprised with how good they turned out. We used all of the ingredients the recipe called for minus the walnuts and wow, they were dangerously delicious. I know that DoubleTree cookies are meant to be enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but I'd argue that they were even better the next day."
According to Liz, this recipe might actually be her family's new go-to.
Caitlin Riddell, Organic Social Media Lead
Caitlin enlisted the help of her niece for her batch. They only used 1/2 a cup of brown sugar, left out the walnuts and used half semisweet and half milk chocolate chips.
"Verdict: The cookies are really delicious and they definitely remind me of DoubleTree’s, I think it’s the rolled oats. I give them an 8/10. Think the extra brown sugar would’ve made them a bit sweeter but they’re still very yummy!"
Jack Witty, Director of Business Analytics
Big shoutout to Jack for giving us the tip on bringing your cold ingredients to room temperature!
Liz asking the important questions in our group Slack:
"The verdict is in! The smell especially reminded me of Hilton and the taste was right there too. We didn’t have any walnuts, but otherwise we stuck to the recipe."
Madison Blancaflor, TPG credit cards writer
I'll be the first to admit I am not a professional baker. But even still, I think these turned out pretty good! Like Caitlin, I used a hand mixer. I also swapped out the semisweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate (my favorite), and left out the walnuts.
Mine were definitely not as insta-worthy as Liz's, but they still tasted great! Next time around, I'll definitely add in a little more flour (I may have mis-measured, because they weren't as thick as everyone else's).
Bottom line
All in all, I'd call our foray into baking a success! As someone who is far from a professional baker, I can confirm that anyone can follow the recipe with good results. We all miss getting to travel to our favorite destinations and stay at our favorite hotels, but the DoubleTree releasing its cookie recipe definitely brought a smile to our faces.
“We hope families enjoy the fun of baking together during their time at home, and we look forward to welcoming all our guests with a warm DoubleTree cookie when travel resumes," said McAteer.
Don't forget that you can earn points while making these yummy cookies! Check out our best credit cards for grocery store purchases to maximize your next ingredients run.
Plan on testing out the recipe yourself? Tag us with your verdict on Instagram @thepointsguy!
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.