Cookies! 8D

I had a random baking urge tonight. I used to have them much more frequently, so I am assuming that my random baking urges are inversely proportional to the amount of time I spend making dinners. V worked late tonight, I made a hash out of leftover roasted root veggies and a simple salad of tomato and avocado... basic dinner -> random baking urge.

Except I didn't have enough butter and V had the car. I didn't want to walk to the store in the cold, but eventually the appalling suggestion that I make a half batch convinced me it would be worthwhile. After spending a ridiculous amount of money on a pound of butter at the corner store, I started making chocolate chip cookies.

And then discovered we were out of baking soda.

Luckily some research led me to a recipe that was almost identical to mine, except it called for an extra 1/4 cup of flour, and 2 tsp of baking powder. So, if you want to make these cookies and don't have soda... go nuts. They will be much paler than normal, but still tasty.

There is lots of talk about what to do to make the best chocolate chip cookie. I'm sure these aren't it, but they are the cookies I've been making since I was old enough to pull a stool up to the counter, and my family loves them. I think they are probably a family recipe from my great-aunt Helen, since I remember there always being a jar of cookies when we went to her house as kids. They are not fussy and they make great cookies and even better cookie dough (mmm... raw egg...). I made a double batch, because I seem to be psychologically incapable of making single batches of anything that can be frozen and/or given away. V never complains, oddly enough. I have two logs of unbaked cookie dough in my freezer now, and no clue how they will fare when baked. I'll let you know, if I remember. Which I probably won't.

Anyway, here is the recipe, in the basic shorthand my mom and I use when sharing recipes. It fits on recipe cards better.

1 cup butter, softened.

1/2 cup white sugar

cream together; add:

1 cup brown sugar

cream together; add

2 tsp vanilla (or more - I usually opt for more)

2 eggs

mix after each egg; add

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

mix until combined; add

12 oz chocolate chips (I usually reduce this because I prefer my cookies less chocolate chippy.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or 350 for a bit longer if you prefer your cookies to spread a bit more and become a bit crisper.