Team in Training

I’d like to introduce you to a new page on my blog: Team In Training. You will notice the link just below the byline on my banner. During this next spring I will be training heavily to participate in a one-hundred mile bike ride to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I hope you you will look forward to updates on my progress and consider sponsoring me for what I feel is a very important charity.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is no visual evidence of this fact, but I just made the best batch of chocolate chip cookies ever and I am willing to share the secret. Seriously, these are ingredients you probably already have in your cabinet and the amount of time it takes to put together is almost negligible. The key I found is to add the egg at the very last step which gives your batter a thick, chewy texture.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In Bowl 1:
1/2 cup Butter (warm, not melted. I put mine in the microwave at 50% power for a minute)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (I’m working on the ratio here, might have more brown sugar to sugar next time)

Mash up butter and sugar into a thick paste. This will take a while and if you are using a spoon and not a mixer, quite a bit of energy, but don’t worry, homemade cookies are always worth it.

In Bowl 2:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 salt

Mix together (stir 15 times)

add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Take Bowl 2 and it to the butter/sugar mixture slowly, pouring a little bit in at a time. When all of Bowl 2 has been mixed into Bowl 1, it should be very dry and not all mixed together. Add the egg and stir vigorously. What should happen is the mixture will hold together.

WARNING: For people who like to lick the bowl clean at the end of making cookies will not like this technique. The batter will stick together as a solid.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Take what ever kind of glob you want of the batter on to a greased pan. The cookies will melt out a little bit, but for the most part hold the form you put it on the sheet.

Cook for 9-12 mins. Stop cooking as soon as you notice a little golden crust on the points of the cookies. Let cool for 10 minutes. Delicious.