I had to brainstorm this subject. Off the top of my head, I could not really come up with anything I wanted to brag about or anything like it. Here is part of my little brainstorm list:
Things I'm good at:
procrastinating, crocheting plan granny square afghans or scarves, killing houseplants, singing loudly in my car when no one else is with me, writing letters, reading, naming cats (I consider myself something of an expert in this area but I don't think it can be taught), use descriptive and funny similes (my sister just pointed this skill out to me yesterday when I talked to her on the phone. She said that I should have been a writer for the old British Comedy show Black Adder with Rowan Atkinson when I described the way my husband's cactus looked when I left it out during a frost [like a melted Grinch] and the way a certain pizza my mom likes tastes [like a bandaged foot], but again, i don't think this is a skill that can be taught), and... making awesome chocolate chip cookies. So I think that's going to have to be the winner, even though it is kind of lame. I do make various crafty projects that I'd like to talk about but I'm in no place to post a picture tutorial at the moment. Maybe some day.
Now, you're going to think my ability to make these yummy cookies is rather lame because I'm really just adjusting an age-old recipe to my liking. Start with the classic Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (or, if you are a FRIENDS fan, "Neslay Tulouse" ala Phoebe)...
It can be found here: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx
For my take on this recipe, omit the chopped nuts entirely. Why on earth would you put chopped nuts in these cookies? I'm just not a nut girl. I'll eat some raw almonds... maybe some macadamia nuts... but I'm not nuts about them. Oh, the cleverness of me! (Ten points if you got that Peter Pan reference).
Okay, where was I? Ah, yes, omit the nuts. Time for what we'll add.
Add: 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, an extra teaspoon on vanilla extract, and just a smidge of milk (I put this in because that extra 1/2 cup of dry ingredient can make the dough too thick). This used to complete my recipe until about two weeks ago when I decided I'd try one more addition. I read that adding just a little corn starch to cookie dough would produce fluffy, chewy, non-crunchy cookies. Intrigued, I added two teaspoons of cornstarch to my dough. To my delight, my cookies came out thick and chewy and dreamy as a sunset in Hawai'i. Yeah, they were that good. Kyle, my husband, pronounced them "the best cookies I've ever eaten." Although he does say that sort of thing a lot. Whenever I make chili, for instance, it is not just good, but the best chili he's ever had. Since I'm not all that in to cooking, I'll take it.
So, here we go with the breakdown. I hope you'll enjoy a batch of these yummy goodness chewy cookies soon. My saliva is about to drown me just thinking about them.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (yes, I use butter for both sticks. I know some use margarine for one, but I'm not a margarine buyer)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz. package) semi sweet chocolate chips (or use chocolate chunks or something. I've even gotten desperate at some point and chopped up a large, extra dark chocolate bar for my "morsels")
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
Dash of milk
Preheat oven to 350, keeping in mind that different ovens may require different settings. My old one had to be adjusted by 25 degrees all the time, so know your own oven. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and corn starch in a small bowl; set aside. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy and delicious-looking. Add each egg, beating thoroughly between additions. Gradually add flour mixture and cocoa. Dough will thicken. Add a dash of milk (not much, just a little!) and beat some more, until dough is more doughy and less thick and rigid, if that makes sense. Then add the chocolate chips or chunks and stir with a big wooden spoon (or similar). Drop my rounded tablespoon (or roll into balls) on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 9 minutes (11 if they haven't solidified). Note that these cookies should NOT look crispy and crunchy... don't burn the bottoms trying to get the tops to crack and wrinkle. And also keep in mind that they will continue cooking on the hot cookie sheet once you pull them out of the oven. After cooling on baking sheets 2-5 minutes, remove to cooling racks. I like to eat them warm and gooey from the oven, but use your best judgement and don't burn your tongue or fingers!
Here's another little tip for soft cookies. You know how they harden and get nasty after a few days storage, if you happen to have any self control and don't eat them the first day? When you put them in plastic containers that may not have the high tech freshness seal of Tupperware (like I want to spend that kind of moola when I can just reuse a Cool Whip tub!), add a piece of white bread on top. In about a day, the bread will get as hard as cafeteria pizza, the kind that you can smack on the plywood cafeteria tables and actually take a chunk out of the table (not that this ever happened at MY school... heh heh) and your cookies will remain scrumptiously soft. I say use white bread because it won't spread a flavor to your cookies like rye or pumpernickel might, but I don't know since I've never put pumpernickel in with my cookies. I can't bear to take the risk. Enjoy!
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