Hello Old Friend

Warm and soft and chewy. 

Excuse me while I go get some milk!

I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  I had to do it.  I've missed my chocolate chip cookies.  I'm a cookie lover, yes, but all cookies are not created equal.  Cookies are not like your children where you love them equally.  Although, I will admit there are days when I might dismiss that theory.  But I digress...

It had been so long since I had made chocolate chip cookies.  What with all the Cookie Journey cookies I've been making since the first of the year; good old, reliable, never-let-me-down chocolate chip cookies have not been in our house for a long time.  Much too long.

So many cookies, so little time...till swimsuit season.

The recipe I use has been in my recipe box for at least 10 years.  Since before I became a mother.  I got it from Alton Brown on the Food Network on a show called "Good Eats."  He explains, in very basic terminology, the science and chemistry behind baking.  It doesn't hurt that he throws in a very quirky, humorous spin to the explanations.  This particular episode demonstrated the different ingredients and methods necessary to produce the type of chocolate chip cookie you desired. 

Soft and chewy. 

Crisp and crunchy. 

Cake-like. 

He had it all spelled out.  Finally!  I thought.  I had never been overly impressed with the Toll House recipe on the bag.  It just wasn't consistent and I wanted bakery worthy cookies.  I tried the recipe for soft and chewy and I have never looked for another chocolate chip cookie recipe since.

Someone (named Owen) sneaked a bite from one

and put it back.

I had originally intended to bake a dozen of the cookies and then freeze the rest of the cookie dough into little globs to have on hand.  But then I remembered that Jenna was having a friend over after school and I wanted there to be plenty of cookies for their after-school snack, then there's dessert and oh, it's the weekend.  So.  I baked all the cookies.  They beckon for me from the kitchen at this very moment.  I need to put the Tupperware container in the cupboard so I don't see it sitting there on the counter every time I walk into the kitchen, which is like 50 or more times a day!  They'll be gone soon and another cookie will come along next week to take its place. 

Scratch that. 

No cookie will ever take the place of my beloved chocolate chip cookies.