When I make cookies, I prefer to make drop cookies like chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies if I'm in a hurry or if I have to make a large amount of cookies. For special occasions or as a treat I'll take the time and make peanut butter cookies or snickerdoodles. At Christmas we make things like pinwheels and thumbprint cookies.
So here we go: DaddyBear's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup of your favorite butter, softened (You can wimp out and go with half a cup of shortening and half a cup of butter, but who wants to live forever?)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup of either dark brown sugar or regular brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses added
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
Vanilla or almond extract to taste, probably between 1and 2 teaspoons
2 1/2 to 3 cups of white flour
2 to 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips or half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips
1 to 2 cups of your favorite chopped nuts. I prefer walnuts, but play around with what you like. Macadamia nuts are really good if you want to make something more upscale.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixer, cream the butter until the color lightens and it starts to rise in volume. Add in the sugars and baking soda, and mix until all lumps are out. Add in eggs and extract. Run the flour through a sifter to remove lumps and add 1/2 cup at a time to the wet mixture until you get a semi-stiff dough, probably at least 2 1/2 cups, but your mileage may vary. Add chips and nuts and mix in just until they are evenly spread through the dough.
Grease a cookie sheet or use a seasoned baking stone. Use either a melon baller or a couple of table spoons to scoop 1 inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. The balls should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. They will flatten to about 1/4 inch in diameter during baking, so space accordingly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the top is turning brown. Remove from oven and let the pan sit for about 3 minutes before removing the cookies with a spatula and placing on cooling rack. Should make between 2 and 3 dozen cookies.
The cookies should still be a bit moist, but not raw. If you want them crispy, give them a few more minutes in the oven but watch that they don't burn. The extra molasses in the dark brown sugar will give a richer flavor and help to keep the cookies moist and chewy.
2 comments:
I have to admit to cheating and buying the Pilsbury (or similer brand) pre done cookie dough way to often. I enjoy baking well enough but I never seem to have time....(the fact that I now have a giant puppy underfoot who thinks that half the ingredients smell GOOD and is thus prone to stealing off counters doesn't help)
Ruth, I completely understand. Having an ankle-biter who wants just one more taste of the dough, batter, or whatever I'm making means baking usually happens in the hour or two after he goes to bed.
We've taken to buying our biscuits frozen in a bag and then baking them at home. As good as Irish Woman's biscuits are, there just aren't enough hours in the day.
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