Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my second post, I will be baking chocolate chip cookies. It’s winter break and it is the best time to bake, especially during the holidays! “Chocolate chip cookies and brownies are universally popular baked goods with very distinct and committed fans” (Jackson 41). I know I am a big fan of cookies in general and they are a delicious treat to eat. It is also fun when you get to bake them from scratch, to share with your family and friends.

The ingredients are:

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ¼ Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt

• ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled Slightly

• 2/3 Cup Lightly Packed Dark Brown Sugar

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (or Honey)

• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

• 1 ¾ Cups Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 ½ minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, and add to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, about 15 seconds.
4. Scrape the bowl again and add the dry ingredients on low speed, mixing just until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds.
5. Wrap the dough and chill overnight or up to 2 days.
6. Once you are ready to bake and have chilled it overnight or up to 2 days: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using your hands or a 1-oz scooper, form 1-inch balls of dough and place them on the baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the cookie edges are golden brown and the centers are still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Enjoy!

Alternative: If you like, replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

This was an easy, simple bake and I’m sure you can copy this recipe yourself at home. If you are wondering why we need to chill these cookies overnight, it was done so that the dry ingredients could absorb the liquid ingredients during a certain length of time. Chilling the dough would produce a chewier cookie and/or allow the flavors to develop. (Jackson 43). Something I didn’t know while reading this cookbook was that, “Bittersweet chocolate is the best type of chocolate for baking” (Jackson 5). The total amount I had baked was 21 cookies! When you first bite into one, you can’t stop eating more and more! Baking allowed me to have a bit more fun during our winter break and I hope you can become a baker too during this cold, winter weather! After all, it’s baking season!!!

Have you ever tried baking cookies from scratch before, how was it like? What sweet treats do you eat during the holidays?

Citation: Jackson, Ellen. Classic Cookies with Modern Twists: 100 Best Recipes for Old & New Favorites. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 2015. Print.