Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Have you ever met anyone who didn’t like cookies? I mean absolutely didn’t like any type of cookie? I don’t think I know anyone like that. Every single person I know swears by some kind of oooey gooey bite of goodness. Some can’t live without those toll house kind and others crave the powdered melt in your mouth kind. But whatever’s your favorite, I’m sure part of your love is rooted in the depths of childhood. (Psychology tells us everything else is.) If you grew up in the States I’ll bet part of that cookie love came from those endless field trips as children. You know, the kind where all 30 of your classmates are crammed in a yellow school bus playing who stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Remember how fun that was? The bus driver would be driving back from a fun filled day of no class and pure sugar and on the way home someone would pick a name and start …

All: Tina stole the cookie from the cookie jar
Tina: Who me?
All: Yeah you
Tina: Couldn’t be
All: Then who?
Tina: Ricky!!

All: Ricky stole the cookie from the cookie jar ….

You get the point.

And who can forget that ever loveable blue monster on Sesame Street? Sunny Day, sweeping the clouds away … Coookie … rawrr rawwrr rawwwrrr. Come on, admit it, there was a point before fourth grade where you wish you could be the cookie monster. And I’m sure there were was a day or two when you actually pretended to be him. I know my brother and I definitely did.

So it’s probably no surprise that to this day we still love us some warm fresh baked cookies. In fact every time I’ve visited my brother, or he’s changed jobs, I’ve always brought him one or other of his two most favorite kind: chocolate chip and double chocolate chip. So how could I go to Statten Island for thanksgiving and not bring him and his friends a batch?

Of course I couldn’t. And since this is the best holiday of the year, I decided to make both the night before thanksgiving. Lucky dog

Here they are, pics, recipes and all …

The original and still the best, Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies – Makes 30 medium sized cookies



Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks, ½ lb) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups Nestle semisweet chocolate morsels (a whole extra cup more than the original recipe. Told you I loved chocolate)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375*

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugars; cream until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is all incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chip morsels.

The batter will be choc full of chocolate.

Place soft batter in the freezer for about 5 to 7 minutes to firm up.
After 5 to 7 minutes, take the batter out and shape it into 1 to 1.5 inch balls.
Place the balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and slightly flatten.

Bake at 375* for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Cool baked cookies on a wire rack and repeat with remaining batter. You may find that you need to return the batter to the freezer and take it out again in between different batches. What you’re trying to achieve is a dense batter that will still mold into a ball, but not stick all over your hands.

Give it a try, it’s a bit different from the normal drop method, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll never go back!

All recipe’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies II – Makes 30 medium sized cookies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks, ½ lb) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups Nestle semisweet chocolate morsels (again an extra cup more than the original recipe)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375*

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugars; cream until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is all incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chip morsels.

The batter will be very soft and chocolate heaven!!

Place soft batter in the freezer for about 5 to 7 minutes to firm up.
After 5 to 7 minutes, take the batter out and shape it into 1 to 1.5 inch balls.
Place the balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and slightly flatten.
Bake at 375* for 10 to 12 minutes until tops are cracked.

Cool baked cookies on a wire rack and repeat with remaining batter. You may find that you need to return the batter to the freezer and take it out again in between different batches. What you’re trying to achieve is a dense batter that will still mold into a ball, but not stick all over your hands.

Enjoy warm cookie with a tall glass of milk!