Milk and Cookies

My idea of a Monday night: watching Anthony Bourdain on the DVR so I can skip through commercials, enjoying leftovers, and a warm chocolate chip cookie. These cookies are also a surefire way to show someone how much you love them. I know some people scoff at the notion of making cookies from scratch on a weeknight, thinking there is not enough time, but honestly it takes only 30 minutes start to finish. The beauty of making a full batch of cookie dough is baking a few to eat right away, and then freezing the rest of the dough pre-portioned for future chocolate chip cookie cravings (which, in my world, happens at least once every two weeks) leaving you only 12 minutes away from a warm and melty cookie.  I like using a spring loaded cookie scoop purchased from a cooking supply store to shape the cookies, but you can also use two spoons. This recipe is the culmination of 3 years of experience baking at an award-winning cafe, boutique hotel, and countless batches at home, and never fails to hit the spot.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add other ingredients, like chopped chocolate covered espresso beans, chopped pecans or walnuts, experiment with different types of chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, or increase the oatmeal while decreasing the amount of flour for a more oatmeal-y cookie. As it stands, the cookie has just a little oatmeal to complete the chew to crispy edge ratio, but play around with it as you like. I also recommend baking the cookies on a silpat, or silicone baking mat. You can also use parchment paper, but I like re-using the silpat to help save paper. I would not recommend foil, as the cookies will spread too much. With the cookies I always have a glass of milk, or maybe milk spiked with a shot of Irish cream if it’s been a long day.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
start to finish: 30 minutes
makes 40 cookies

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 60% cacao

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined and set aside. In a separate bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugars just until combined. Very important-do not overmix or the cookies will come out cakey. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, just until combined, scraping the bowl often with a rubber spatula. (Note-when cracking eggs, crack flat side down on the countertop and then into a bowl to minimize getting eggshells in your dough.) Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, just until combined. Adding all of the flour should take about 20 seconds, stopping every 10 seconds to scrape down the bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix for about 4 seconds,or just until combined.

Scoop the cookies using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons onto a silpat and bake for 10-11 minutes,on the middle rack, rotating the pan inside the oven once. Cookies are done when the middles no longer look raw and the edges are golden brown.

If not baking all of the cookies today, you can store them in the freezer. Line a plate with plastic wrap, scoop the cookies in a single layer onto the plastic wrap, and wrap the whole plate twice with wrap to minimize the cookies absorbing any freezer odors. If you need to stack the cookies on top of each other, line each layer with plastic. Frozen cookies keep for a month and take about 12-13 minutes to bake. Cookies are best eaten while warm the same day. You can also store them in an airtight container for the day and reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds for the same melty goodness.