So this week I wanted to share another recipe with you. It’s an adaptation of the very first recipe that I ever learned (I was six years old) so it’s pretty dear to my heart. I have a thing for making chocolate chip cookies. Eating them isn’t so much the goal – it’s really just about the process of making them. It’s a little ritual that I practice whenever I’m in a new living situation. There’s something very soothing about it (maybe you can relate) and it brings a sense of being at home no matter where I am.
While cooking is an art baking is a science, so I stay pretty close to the original Toll House cookbook recipe. But I’ve learned some tricks along the way too, so here’s the most recent evolution of this tried and true classic:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 and 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 10 oz. dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small pan over low heat, melt butter, cane sugar and brown sugar. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
- Transfer butter-sugar mixture to a medium bowl. Add vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually stir in flour mixture.
- Stir in morsels and nuts and CHILL the dough completely-at least 4 hours.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes – halfway through the baking time turn the pan 180 degrees.
- Allow cookies to cool before transferring.
- COOL the pans completely before baking another batch (option: run cold water over the pans).
Another trick is to use parchment paper to help reduce clean up. I like to store the cookies in the freezer in small ziplock bags and share them with as many people as possible.
*** For high altitude baking increase flour by 1/4 cup ***
It wouldn’t be winter without home made soups. I usually use veggie broth and add some base like spit peas or lentils or barley, I have also used chick peas or other legumes. Mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, sweet potato, broccoli, onion, garlic( I am not shy w garlic, i have been known to put three whole heads of garlic into a pot- sliced not minced) and different spices- one my favorite flavor combinations is curry, turmeric, and some cumin-it goes really well with the cabbage and sweet potato. I also usually add in gee to make a richer broth and I load in the ingredient to make it more like a stew. Sometimes I will leave it vegetarian, but if I am using barley instead of beans or I want added protein i will cook in chicken legs and add the meat in small pieces when fully cooked. With soup it’s fun because you have free range- other ingredients I like to use are green beans, turnip, leaks, shallots, oregano, basil, zuchini, and I have used brussel sprouts and asparagus on occasion and loved it:) pureed soups are wonderful too, especially using squash. its comforting especially w the gee, it’s warming in the winter time, it’s healthy and keeps colds away, and it is my must have home cooking 🙂 mmmm soup followed by a chocolate chip cookie and tea…sounds like a perfect winter evening menu 🙂
Thanks Dana, that sounds delicious! I’m not shy with garlic either 🙂