Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a special relationship with chocolate chip cookies. Its called LUST!

My eyes go a little blurry just thinking about them. Much like the image below.

I don't just love the finished baked product. I love it in all its forms and stages. It begins with the mixture of brown sugar, butter, white sugar, and vanilla extract. I eat about a quarter of it while stirring it. In go the eggs, then the dry ingredients, and finally the chocolate chips. All melded together to form a mushy doughy ball of chocolate chip heaven.

I love love LOVE cookie dough! Deciding between eating raw cookie dough or waiting for them to come out of the oven is always a close call. The perfect cookie is one that is lovely and melt-in your-mouth-chewy in the middle and crunchy around the edges. There's nothing that beats a good chocolate chip cookie with a steaming mug of milk or tea.

I've been on a chocolate chip baking/eating binge lately. I went to a Halloween party with all good intentions of making witch hat or black cat shaped cookies but in the end I knew that neither would measure up to the flavor, crunchiness, chocolate gooey-ness, of a real homemade chocolate chip cookie. They were a hit at the party and a week later I found myself baking them again for a sci-fi movie night (side note: don't EVER rent the movie "Splice"....it has a seriously disturbing storyline!). I tried a slightly different recipe each time so I'll share both. The first one was chewy, doughy, thick, and delicious while the movie night ones were thinner, crispier, and equally tasty.

Before I forget, I have to mention that since moving to San Diego I have discovered a dessert that should definitely be named after me and my love of cookies. Its called the "Pizookie." If you haven't already guessed, it's the melding of a cookie and a pizza; a gigantic cookie in a pizza pan with each quarter comprised of a different sort of cookie (I recall chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter) topped with about 12 scoops of ice cream. I hope my last meal measures up to this...

Now with the image of that dessert go whip up some delectable chewy pieces of chocolate chip goodness....

Thick Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (from allrecipes.com by Dora)

Makes 24 Cookies

Ingredients

• • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. (I had to bake mine for 15-20 minutes so keep an eye on them. Time may vary depending on how large you make them)

Crispy Chewy Cookies (on smittenkitchen.com)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

3. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

5. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.