I know these are serious times. We are watching and waiting for life to go back to a more normal kind of scary.

In the meantime, as our global world, and more specifically, this small bit of my world that is located in King County within the Pacific Northwest, where our twelve legs reside (and ten spend time in the kitchen), we turn to something humble and familiar. A batch of cookies. Simple and comforting cookies that bring melted butter and sugar together, take a swing dance with flour, salt and baking powder, stir in vanilla and chocolate to reward us with fresh-from-the-oven comfort and success.

My late Grandpa George (on my Father’s side) taught me to dip cookies properly! In a tall glass of cold, whole milk; holding them just long enough to get moist, but not soggy and never too dry. If he were here today, he would tell us all to keep a positive mind, which can heal even a weak body, eat lots of cookies and be sure you dip them in milk.

He would also be taking in more stray dogs, giving them shelter and food, knowing that their capacity for love was larger than our own and rewards us with healing powers too.

I have been craving chocolate chip cookies for months now. Well before toilet paper, hand sanitizer and masks became the most coveted commodities.

We could be talking about doom and gloom, but let’s talk about the humble and almighty, classic chocolate chip cookie instead!

There are so many recipes out there. How is that possible? So instead of just winging it again, a long while back, I went to Pinch of Yum for a little inspiration and instruction (rather than making my “healthy” low butter, whole wheat, cardboard cookies yet again). I found this post and have been referring to it since (and that makes my husband happy…).

I love a soft cookie but actually prefer it to have a crisp edge.  I don’t want it to be burnt (like my Dad) and certainly not doughy. It should be light and fluffy; soft and gooey. This recipe hits all the marks! I think Lindsay’s secret is in the melted butter, which seems weird at first, but works.

I always cut back on sugar, because most desserts just seem too sweet; that’s what I did here. In fact, the sugar in this recipe is replaced by Monkfruit sweetener.

No skimping on the chocolate though. Now’s a good time to use that good dark chocolate bar that you have been saving. Break into the milk chocolate that is stashed away for your secret craving, or just buy a good bit of chocolate specifically to make these! Yes, do that (but only if you have to go the grocery store anyways)!

For the chocolate, we splurged on Lilian’s Chocolate Chips which have Stevia rather than sugar (because we can all stand to cut down on sugar).

The butter I use is 100% Irish (and not because of a nod to St Paddy’s Day, but if that helps, then go with it).  You can use any butter you like, preferably without salt. No fake butter allowed though! Seriously. I can’t believe I actually have to say that.

The flour. Let’s talk about flour.

I have been sabotaging my own baking for years. I tried making them healthy with whole wheat, or buckwheat, or whatever flour, other than white flour, that a nutritionist might conjure up. Today, we are using white flour, but, for the record, not just any white flour; we are using bread flour.  

DO NOT Overcook! Unless you like them crisp (or burnt, of course). Enough said. Or is it? Let me know?

Dip, Eat, Repeat!

Zoe: Ahhhhh, Spring is near.
Winston: I smell something cooking, or is that you roasting Zoe?

Zoe: La-zzz-y weekends…
Winston: The only thing that’s going to get me off this couch is food. I hope mom used carob in those cookies so I can have one.

Light & Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Pinch of Yum’s, “Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies”, these are a cut above the rest of the recipes out there (in my humble opinion, of course). The melting of the butter first may be the trick to their texture.

These take minimal time to make and will satisfy the cookie monster in all of us.

• Author: Stacey Bender
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 9-10 minutes
• Total Time: 59 minute
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x
• Category: dessert snack
• Method: baked

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 sticks of butter (16 TB), melted and cooled (I use Irish butter) Note: I tried my last batch with 12 TB butter and 2 TB olive oil.

1/2 cup raw Turbino sugar

1/2 cup brown coconut sugar (I tried my last batch with 1/3 cup)

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 large eggs

3 cups bread flour (I used King Arthur’s)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chunks (cut from a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees F
2. Using a stand or hand mixer, on high speed, cream together the butter, sugars and vanilla bean paste.
3. Add the eggs and blend, on medium speed, just until incorporated (approximately 15 seconds).
4. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix, gradually increasing speed until the mixture comes together and forms a crumbly, wet mound of dough.
5. Add in the chocolate and mix on high until just incorporated.
6. Form into 24 clumps and shape into cattywampus balls as you put them on 2 baking sheets.
7. Bake for 9 minutes then check for doneness. They should be just beginning to turn golden and will have puffed a bit with the chocolate chunks melted. If they still seem wet and not cooked, cook another minute or two but beware of over-cooking!
8. Let them sit on the baking sheet until they are completely room temperature (unless, of course, you are eating them warm; in that case, by all means, dig in after they are cool enough to touch).

Notes

This recipe easily doubles.

If you like, you can add more chocolate chips, chunks or pieces.

If you like nuts in your cookies, mix them in when you mix in the chocolate.

Keywords: Soft chocolate chip cookies