What: “Study” Break Chocolate Chip Cookies
How much it will cost :
Stocking your baking cabinet for a long time (flour, sugar, vanilla, etc.): about $15
A big block of butter (450g, enough for two batches of cookies): $2.50
A bag of chocolate chips: $1.99 – $4 (varies depending on the sales at Provigo or jacked prices at the local dep)
The look in that special someone’s eyes when they smell what you’ve got in the oven: priceless
Why : Because let’s face it, we’re all cookie monsters at heart.
Midterms are around the corner and it’s time to start hosting study parties. We’re not quite ready to move into the library, but for those of you who are, cookies are a delightful and quiet snack to hide away in your bag – though we can’t technically endorse bringing in a batch. Shh. And what better study food than a classic: chocolate chip.
These cookies can be most effective when that certain cutie in your chemistry class comes over to compare notes if studying is not the only thing you have in mind (you know what we mean). Don’t underestimate the power of chocolate chip.
Cocolate chip cookies offer instant satisfaction, so head to the baking cabinet and within 30 minutes you should be back to the books, or whatever.
We included the price of butter and chocolate chips above. All the other ingredients you’ve now stocked up on should last well beyond finals.
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“Study” break chocolate chip cookies
• 1 C butter (if you use unsalted butter then put an extra ½ tsp of salt)
• ¾ C sugar
• ¾ C brown sugar (packed)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp of salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 C flour
• ½ – 1 bag of chocolate chips (depending on where you like your chocolate – in the cookies or in your mouth)
Preheat oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit (175˚ Celsius). Soften butter in the microwave so you can stir it – do not melt! Add both types of sugar. Mix together until creamy. Mix in eggs. Add vanilla, salt, and baking powder. Stir. Add the flour, and mix. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
Plop the dough in little blobs on the cookie tray. The size can be anywhere from a small spoonful to a big one. Make little cookies when feeding large groups, such as The Daily editorial board. Make big cookies when feeding yourself and that special someone. But not too big – you don’t want to feel sick in case our recipe leads to some more physical activity (yes they’re that good). Cook them in the oven for 9 – eleven minutes, better to take them out a little undercooked than overcooked, unless you’re one of those people who likes crunchy cookies. When undercooked they‘re chewy when they cool.
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Brown sugar:
Packing is important. It’s not enough to fill the measuring cup, stuff that sugar in. It should come out of the measuring cup shaped like a perfect, sugary sandcastle.
Baking soda v. baking powder – a fight to the death:
Most don’t know the difference between baking soda and baking power, but it’s basically just that baking powder has both baking soda and other stuff in it. You can use either in this recipe, but soda makes more sense for cookies. You can also leave your open baking soda carton in the fridge to absorb all those not-so-appealing smells – and don’t worry your cookies will still taste delicious if you use this stuff later. If you’re not making cookies for a large group at the moment, we highly recommend freezing the leftovers. Undercooked, frozen cookies can be kept in small baggies for emergencies.
Variations – if you’re in the squeeze for ingredients:
If you don’t have vanilla, you can substitute ½ tsp of cinnamon. They both taste delicious, but cinnamon can come off as more creative, and it makes the baking cookies smell even better! Make sure not to use both vanilla and cinnamon though, it tastes kind of funky – almost as bad as burning a role of pre-made cookie dough in the oven.
You can also make the cookies with 1 C oats and 1 ½ C flour. These make the cookies extra chewy, and the oaty texture makes them more interesting.
Another fun twist on the classic is adding ¾ C peanut butter to the butter and sugar mixture. If you’re feeling extra nutty (bad pun intended), add ½ C crushed walnuts alongside the chocolate chips. But please remember, these are chocolate chip cookies; the chocolate is a must.
Friends with Food will be dishing out dating advice and recipes – but mostly recipes – every other Thursday, starting today. Look for more recipes on the brand spankin’ new Friends with food blog.