Recipe:
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons of salted butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar (I like to use raw cane sugar with a coarser texture)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (more as needed – see video)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (but I always add a little extra)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use a combination of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks)
- Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot – but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.
- Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated – 10-15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff).
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.
- Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. This advice is probably written on every cookie recipe everywhere, but this is essential for keeping the cookies soft. They’ll be pale and puffy.
- Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes
Essay:
There are many things in the world that carry a meaning larger than their appearance may suggest. Big or small, cheap or expensive, tasty or not, this “thing” may have a deep meaning in someone’s life. For example, a special dish or type of food is something that often symbolizes something more powerful. Ever since I was young, my parents have made it a priority to have dinner as a family at least a few times a week. While both the meals and the days would change every week, Sunday night family dinners were a staple. My mom always cooked a good meal, no matter what type it was. However, I know Sunday nights wouldn’t have been the same without those irresistible cookies she always made.
Personally, nothing tastes better than some warm, homemade, chocolate chip cookies. Walking into my house to the aura of smells put off from some freshly baked cookies was like no other. However, the reason such simple item such as these cookies are so important to me is much bigger than how they taste or smell. Rather, its the sense of wholeness, and family that I love the most. Every bite, or every whiff of these cookies I take, I am reminded of home. The value of these cookies serve as a reminder of the people who raised me, where I am from, and the lessons I have learned.
Overall, my family actually ate very healthy. Our meals were always balanced with proteins and vegetables, sided with some healthy carbs. Looking back, I have to wonder why my mom always make cookies every sunday if she knew they were not healthy. Curious about her answer I asked her. Her response was as follows… “I made cookies every sunday because I knew it made my family happy. I would bake them when I was younger for my brothers who always loved them, so now I want to carry on the tradition”. This response directly aligns with why I chose to write about what those cookies meant to me. My mom knew those cookies had a much larger purpose than to taste good, which is why they became a tradition. Not only is family a value of hers, but also to me. I know I can trust my family with anything that causes me trouble, and that no matter what they will always love me. So when I smell the scent of freshly made chocolate chip cookies, my brain is reminded that I am proud of where I came from, and I always have something to fall back on.
Furthermore, there is another main reason why chocolate chip cookies have such a deep meaning to me and my family. My mom actually acquired the recipe from my grandmother, who was a notorious baker. Knowing this, I decided to ask my mom about how she actually got this recipe. Her answer, “Many years ago I was put in charge of making a dessert for a work party, unsure of what to make, I contacted Joyce [My grandmother]. She shared her recipe with me, and from this day I haven’t changed a thing. Now, this recipe allows me to cook for our small family, which makes you and dad happy.” Some of the earliest memories I have in my life are the days I would spend with my grandma, while my parents were at work. Something we would always do was make these special cookies. We did this countless times, each time the cookies tasted better. Looking back, I never realized how big of a meaning they would now have on me, as I sit here in college. Sadly, my grandma recently passed away from brain cancer, but the cookies are a way of remembering her. While the cookies only make up miniscule part of our lives, they stand for the bonds our family has created, and now passed on through generations.
Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a homebody, I will be the first to admit that the idea of “home” has a very special place in my heart. No matter how good or bad of a day I had, whether I scored 30 points or none, I knew I could always rely on coming home to two loving parents. After I finished interviewing my mom about her thoughts about the family-famous cookies, there was one thing she said that I thought would perfect wrap up just how much these cookies represent for not only me, but my family. When I asked her what the cookies meant to her, she replied “I believe they bring you and dad happiness. Everytime I make them, you two smile inside and out, and I know it brings our family closer”. Whether it’s my mother or grandmother, these homemade cookies hold value far greater than their flavor.
