Simple, Light, Lethal.

The other day I had a request for something simple, chocolate chip cookies. I had never made them from scratch(gasp!). I didn't bake much cookies as a kid, mostly cakes, biscuits and a few feeble attempts at cinnamon rolls (what can I say, I was 12 and my tiny little hands got so tired from kneading dough). But this is a simple snack that we all loved as kids, isn't it? No fancy ingredients which you need to travel to the ends of the earth to find. All could be found in your local grocery store. Although, since I don't buy whole wheat or all purpose flour, I generally trek to health food stores to get the flour of my choice in bulk, as well as a few other ingredients that aren't sold in my local Loblaws. After trying a few batches of different types of choco chip cookie recipes, I finally settled down with one that I loved by Kate Zuckerman. Light, paper thin, crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookies. I don't enjoy them too cakey, thick, rich, or overly sweet. But I loved this recipe, the cookies have a caramel like flavour, not too sweet, but just right. But you know, I thought I could substitute syrup for any refined sugar in all baking recipes. Yes, a blunder of the baking novice who is constantly looking for ways to substitute healthier ingredients. But when it comes down to choco chip cookies, I've realized that brown sugar is the only way to go for the kind of cookie I desire. I hear that the sugar grains need to aerate the butter when you cream them together in the initial stages of making your cookie batter. This just means that you are cutting the sugar grains into the butter to create little pockets of fat. I believe this is what makes the cookie, crisp and light. I got this tip from Dessert First. But you know, I should mention that these cookies are lethal, they are very addictive. You wouldn't want to eat too many, it would be best if you shared them so that you're not tempted to eat them all. Baker beware!

Chocolate chip cookies

4oz organic butter
1/2 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup organic light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
120 grams brown rice flour (subsituted brown rice flour instead of all purpose flour)
4oz organic chocolate chips
1/4 tsp nutmeg (this ingredient is not apart of the original recipe)

**F.Y.I, Kate's recipe doesn't call for organic products***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. In a seperate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spice. Gradually add dry ingredients into batter. Add chocolate chips. Scoop out 1 inch cookie rounds. Roll rounds into a ball and place 4-5 inches apart on your baking sheet. Bake for 8mins or until cookie appears golden brown around the edges.

Makes 2 dozen.



I could leave this neat little recipe alone...but you know me, I'm the alternative substitute queen. Yes, I think I'm going to experiment with a butter substitute, chocolate substitute, and sugar substitute in the near future.