Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

All my life, I've had an issue with declaring "favorites."

Favorite color, favorite food, favorite movie, favorite book...

*sigh*
It still stresses me out.

Do I have to pick just one?
(Call me indecisive.  ...Or would it be hesitant?  Uncertain?  Whatever.)

...except when I was about 6 years old, I had a favorite color (Pink, obviously.  But that's a given.)
After that, I was kind of a tom-boy, and I didn't have a favorite color, however, I knew that pink was definitely NOT my favorite color (I grew up with six brothers, what do you expect?).

My little sous-chef...  :)

Anyway, since the time of having pink at the top of my list, I can't remember having any other declared favorites.

Until I tried this cookie.

I've tried about a million chocolate chip cookie recipes in my young life, but have never really stuck with one,

until a few months ago when I tried this recipe.
I've stuck with it, 

craved it, 

baked it,
loved it,
devoured it,

and (hesitatingly), shared it.

Back to being indecisive, I can't quite put my finger on what keeps me going back...

Is it the caramelized, crispy edges?

The melted-chocolatey, gooey centers?

Or flecks of sea salt that surprise my taste buds in between all of that?

Hmmm.

I'll go have another and get back to you on that...

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

From Savory Sweet Life

Yields 4 Dozen (48 cookies), easily halved 

1 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp smallish-medium coarse sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 360 degrees.  

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar for about 3 minutes in a stand mixer; until fluffy.

Add eggs & vanilla.  Beat for 2 minutes.

Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until well blended.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by about 2-Tbsp size onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for about 12-14 minutes (it only takes about 10 in my oven), or until edges are just golden brown.  Remove from oven and keep cookies on the sheet for another 2 minutes.  Then transfer parchment paper (with cookies on it) to the counter and let cool 3 minutes...and indulge!

*Notes:  To prevent flat cookies, be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are not expired, and be sure to cream the butter and sugars for the full 3 minutes.

No-Shortening Buttercream Frosting

Here's the buttercream frosting recipe I used on my Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies.

I don't usually like frosting, but this is my new favorite, 

and I LOVE that it doesn't use shortening--it's practically healthy...(ha).

Shortening-Free Buttercream Frosting

From twopeasandtheirpod.com

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt (literally--just taste & add more if needed)

6 Tbsp heavy cream*

Food coloring & sprinkles, optional

Cream together butter and vanilla.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar and salt.  When becomes smooth & creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Finally, beat at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes; until light and fluffy.  Add food coloring if desired.

*You can use 1/2 and 1/2 or milk if you don't have any, although cream tastes wonderful!

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies

I usually opt for chewy, fudgy, & rich-chocolatey

over

soft, light, fluffy, and sweet.

Until Valentine's Day comes...there's something about it that makes me abandon everything I stand for the rest of the year when it comes to sweets.

So I indulge in sweet & fluffy things,

like sugar cookies.

I have a sugar cookie recipe I use at Christmas, which yields a thinner, crispier cookie.  It's delicious and tastes like my childhood.

But I tried this soft one this year for Valentine's,

and,

what can I say?

I'm in love.

Try 'em and let me know what you think.  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Update:  Click here for the shortening-free frosting I used for these cookies!

Soft & Fluffy Sugar Cookies

From twopeasandtheirpod via recipesecrets.net

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 cups white sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sour cream

In large bowl, whisk together flour, soda, powder, and salt; set aside.

Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed for a couple minutes, until light & fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla and sour cream at low speed until incorporated.

Add in dry ingredients and beat in a low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).  Divide dough in two and flatten into rectangles (about 1 1/2 inches thick) and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight, or at least a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a floured countertop and with a floured rolling pin, roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut out cookies with desired cookie cutters, place on baking sheets, and bake for about 7 minutes--take the cookies out when they are barely golden around edges.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack immediately and let cool before frosting.  May store in an air-tight container.  Enjoy!

**Click here for the shortening-free buttercream frosting I used!

Chocolate Witches Hats

In an attempt to be festive & Halloween-y,

I made some simple witches hats...

(an idea I spotted on Pinterest)

At first I was a little disappointed at the blemishes & marks in the chocolate,

but quickly realized that it just gives the "hat" a more tattered look...

the more blemishes, the better!

Happy Halloween...a couple days late...  :)

Chocolate Witches Hats

Fudge-striped shortbread cookies

Chocolate kisses

Orange frosting (I used a simple buttercream frosting--next time I'll make my orange darker!)

Pipe orange frosting around the circle on the bottom side of the cookie (for piping the frosting, I used a ziploc bag and cut off the corner).  Place a chocolate kiss on top.

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (with whole wheat!)

My time in our temporary kitchen is dwindling...thus begins the make-random-stuff-out-of-what-you-have-left stage.  Good thing I have a very non-picky husband!

I looked in my cupboard and I had:  whole wheat flour, oats, almond butter, and dark chocolate chips...
which equals cookies, of course!

I started with a peanut butter cookie recipe from allrecipes.com, substituted almond butter for the peanut butter, and healthified a few things.

Soft and chewy, while crisp on the outside.  We loved them!  And with almond butter, dark chocolate (antioxidants!), whole wheat, and oats...how can you go wrong??

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup natural almond butter (of course, peanut butter works too)

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 cup regular whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dark chocolate chips (I like 60% cacao)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and almond butter until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Separately mix flour, baking soda, and salt; then combine with wet mixture. Fold in oats & chocolate chips.

Shape dough into golf-ball size balls and bake on ungreased baking sheet for 8-12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let cool in pan--if you can bear to wait--for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Soft, chewy chocolate

plus

melted peanut butter chips

equals

jubilee.

And I don't use that word everyday. I think the last time I used it was in High School choir.

I fortunately stumbled across this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. The only change I made was I refrigerated the cookie dough overnight (I recently read an article about how that's a secret to great cookies...yes, I'm a nerd). The taste and texture were perfect-o.

(Plus I slightly underbaked them for a softer cookie!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; mix until combined. Fold in peanut butter & chocolate chips, refrigerate dough at least 1-2 hours (overnight is better), then bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes (I slightly underbaked these (on purpose) and they were still soft and chewy the next day!).

Natural Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

To start off, my family just temporarily moved across the country for the summer months, and we've had issues getting internet, hence the lack of posts (we still don’t have it—hopefully soon.). I have a very interesting (and outdated) kitchen situation in a hundred-year-old house; we are currently without a toaster, microwave, blender, crockpot, and…one of my most prized possessions, my Kitchen Aid…

(*moment of silence*)

…not to mention we’re also without a full-sized fridge and oven! I just purchased a mini cookie sheet to fit in the mini oven. Woe is me! I’m sure any 1950’s housewife would tell me to roll up my sleeves and buck up a little.

Thankfully, these delectable cookies were still possible to make, with a little extra time and elbow grease (did I mention I miss my Kitchen Aid?).

And delectable they were.

There's nothing like the aroma of chocolate chips in the oven to make a house feel homey.

Natural Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Carrie R.

1 ½ cups natural peanut butter* (I like Adams brand (crunchy), which I can only find in the Western U.S., unfortunately)

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

3 eggs

4 cups old-fashioned oats**

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first seven ingredients together (peanut butter through salt). Add eggs, beat well, and then mix in oats & chocolate chips. Spoon onto lightly greased cookie sheets & bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen.

*The original recipe calls for regular peanut butter. If you use that (such as Skippy or Jiffy), omit the salt.

**Original recipe calls for quick oats, but I prefer the texture (and wholesome-ness) of old-fashioned oats. Use whatever you have!