Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The best gift ever...

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I have a confession to make -- it hasn't just been the renovation and the move that I've been busy with (although those are still in full swing). I've been carrying around (literally for nine months!) some pretty big news that has (finally) just made her arrival.

Little C was born 12 days ago and I am still not over the wonder. Perhaps I never will be -- I wouldn't know, never having been a parent before. Now that I am I'm ecstatic and nervous and excited and scared all at once. "Please let me be good at this one thing," I think to myself as we stare at each other over her 3am meal. And as she nods off to sleep with a ghost of a smile, which isn't really a smile at all but just some gas according to her doctor, I know this is going to be the most amazing ride of my life.

I have no clue when my posting with regain a semblance of regularity. Right now the only meals I am serving are hers (although I have sneaked in a few items of sustenance for C and I). I'll be back as often and my and little C's ever changing schedule allows -- after all, I now have more people to cook for and more reason to document our family recipes :)

C and I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas gift! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! :)

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Robyn Lee's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Hello there! Anyone still around? It's been a month since I last posted...a month. Where did the time go? What, in heaven's name, was I doing?

Will get to that in a bit. Meanwhile, I can say one thing that I definitely was not doing...not thinking about this blog. Believe you me, it was on my mind constantly, like a wonderful friend who lives on a paradisal island that I was just aching to visit and play with...but because of lack of resources and time, just couldn't get to, no matter how much I longed for that escape.

So what I have been doing? Going full speed ahead on the renovation of our new home. Shopping for tiles and faucets and door knobs and all sorts of bobs and bits. Deciding on paint swatches. Pinching pennies. Working like a fiend on more shifts than I even want to think of. Attempting halfway decent Christmas shopping. Trying to appease our new neighbors during the noisy demolition period with these cookies...

Robyn Lee's Killer Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies – smaller version
(adapted from Serious Eats)

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

- Preheat the oven to 335 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. - Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough a rounded tablespoonful at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

The original recipe called for 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks from a high quality chocolate bar (like Vahlrona or Green & Black's). I didn't have any so I decided to use a half cup more of my regular chocolate chips to compensate. I am definitely trying this with swanky chocolate chunks next time! I also made the cookies smaller (you use a 1/4 cup measure to mold the cookie dough in the original) to make more cookies -- and feed more neighbors!

These are absolutely classic tasting chocolate chip cookies -- chewy with slightly crispy edges and gorgeous shots of chocolate all throughout. You can be sure I kept some for myself!

I hope this recipe appeases you until I pop back here again. I can't promise when that will be. You see, aside from the renovation and work (and the holiday rush!), there is also much going on in these parts -- of which I hope to share with you soon! For today though, these cookies will have to do. They're very good and I'm sure they will keep anyone happy :) I certainly hope they keep my neighbors in good spirits as the carpenters hack away!