Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel like I’m not yet back in my culinary groove. Ever since I returned from vacation, it’s been catch-as-catch can to tidy the house, take care of the laundry, and take care of even simple, heat-and-serve meals

Given that – but given that I still hoped to bake something over the weekend – I opted for simplicity. This is my version of the classic chocolate chip cookie.

I started baking plain chocolate chip cookies at the age of 9. My church had a little youth group called “the King’s Army” – that’s the sort of thing that Adventists consider a clever pun – and in order to fund its meager overhead expenses, we hosted a weekly bake sale. I made cookies using the Tollhouse recipe most of the time, although occasionally, I made it as a bar cookie because hey– drop cookies are time-consumptive, especially for a little kid.

I like to think I did a good job for a pre-teen, but my baking skills have definitely evolved since then. My love for chocolate chip cookies, however, has not.

This is a heavily modified adaptation of the Tollhouse recipe. Oddly enough, I find one needs less butter than their version demands. It’s a rare cookie recipe that is improved by being made healthier, but this is it. I also reduce the amount of egg, double the vanilla, and add malted milk powder.

That sounds more complicated than it is. I can whip a batch of these up in about 10 minutes, and except for overbaking – as with all drop cookies, you want to use the timer and your best judgment and under no circumstances want to bake these until the middle looks set – they’re hard to ruin.

At least, I hope that’s how it turns out for you.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 ¾ sticks unsalted butter, softened or melted (either works for me)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons malted milk powder

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate chips in this version)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk, and malted milk powder and stir until combined.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until incorporated, then add chocolate chips.

Drop in rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 9-12 minutes, or until just barely brown at the edges.

Printable recipe here.