Can't Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time Factor: 30 mins
Wow Factor (1-10): 3
Music to Bake By: Hot Chocolate You Sexy Thing


True story: I spent an entire summer ruining batch after batch of chocolate chip cookies. My cookies were alternately too dry or too buttery or too flat. You'd think you can't mess up Chocolate Chip Cookies but you did not spend that summer with me in D.C. Those people will tell you.

I didn't learn until years later (and my mother-in-law instructed me) that I was measuring the flour wrong (shake spoonfuls into the measuring cup, don't scoop). Anyway, this recipe is adapted from the The New Basics Cookbook, a cookbook I could not live without. It's my go-to for everything. Fitting that I used it for my first real small batch.  And it seemed like the old standby of chocolate chip cookies was an appropriate test. It was insanely easy. My husband left for Target and by the time he was back the cookies were almost done.

Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Now every good cookie recipe starts with creaming butter and sugar.

   

   I could just eat this with a spoon and call it a day.

   Combine 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter at room temperature with 3 tablespoons (packed) of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of white sugar. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat for at least three minutes to get it really fluffy. Don't be impatient and cheat! Use a timer to force yourself to really do it that long. Trust me, it makes a difference. If you're really bored, multi-task and do some Kegels.
   
   
2. I was at the Farmers Market in Davis, California this weekend (don't ask) and was delighted to find small eggs. I have never seen regular small chicken eggs in the supermarket. I asked her how many small eggs would equal a large one for baking and her answer was two - but her thick accent made me concerned about whether she really understood the question. Feeling adventurous, I decided to trust her. And that's also when I decided to halve the Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe since the original called for one large egg - easy math. Let's try out this little egg and trust walk with the Estonian organic farmer shall we? (And put off the inevitable where I have to divide an egg into fourths... just a little longer.) So add one small egg to the butter/sugar mixture and beat it.
   
   

   

   Look! Mini Me egg!

   
   

   

   So tiny you just want to hug it.

   
   

   
   

   
   

3. Next mix your dry ingredients. I was surprised that I could put the half cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and get ready for it... half pinch of salt into a soup bowl. (Maybe letting your kid's small fingers do a pinch is the way to go with that half pinch.) Another benefit of baking small batches is that clean up is easier. Or it seems that way.

4. Slowly add your dry ingredients to your wet ones and beat until smooth, then add a half cup of chocolate chips. This time I used Ghirardelli Chocolate Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips. If you've been using a mixer at this point you probably want to just hand mix the chips in with a spatula.

Think happy thoughts.

5. Use a dessert spoon and scoop out roughly even mounds of dough onto a cookie sheet that is either lined with parchment paper or a Silpat Baking Sheet. I have to say I'm not enthralled with the Silpat myself - it seems greasy - but I'm probably not cleaning it correctly. I used parchment. Pop these 12 babies into the oven and bake for 4 minutes, then rotate and the Silver Palate gals say to rap it on the counter once. Bake for another for another 4-5 minutes until they look like something you wouldn't be ashamed to bring to a bake sale.

The final product: C's already gotten into them!

6. Given that Z was asleep when I made these it was extremely fast and simple - although probably less fun. She would love to see that mini egg so I'll definitely let her help me for the next one. It's about time to teach that girl to crack an egg, isn't it? (Might wait for the flour lesson until she has better manual dexterity...)