One of the many things my mom always tells me (including: don’t forget to bundle up when its cold out! Don’t forget to pay the rent! Don’t forget to give my aunt a call!) is how much I nibbled through my childhood on President’s Choice’s chocolate chip cookies. I still recall the nifty packaging, how my heart thudded at the sound of that crinkling paper in anticipation of the deliciousness to come. Led by my nail bitten fingers (don’t judge me--I’m still struggling to break my bad habit) I reached for a cookie studded with chocolate kisses. Retrieving it out gingerly so as not to wreck it into crumbles, I turned it over in my hands—always face up-- before munching through the cookie, avoiding the chocolate, because I was a strong believer in saving the best for last.
I love baking from scratch, there’s a great sense of fulfillment. So nowadays days I prefer: spending hours reading about the best chocolate chip cookie, measuring out each ingredient, stirring the batter, and dipping my finger into the firm dough and licking it clean. Then scooping golf ball sized cookie-babies-to-be, rolling it between my palms, setting them on the baking tray and popping them in the hot oven. One, two, three minutes tick by as I wiggle my thumbs and toes, 15 minutes is a long time for cookies. But alas! The unmistakable scent of brown sugar and sweet butter floats from the kitchen to my bedroom, I swear if you listen very carefully, I can hear the cookies calling my name. And I obviously can’t ignore those innocent pleas, I mean, they need help! They need to be attended to!
I nearly cried when I fished them out of that fiery oven. They were beautiful. They were perfect. Golden in color, they sported crackly tops like the Grand Canyon. Each cookie looked different from its neighbour, the only way to tell them apart were the arbitrary zigzagged lines intercepting each other. And the best part? They were riddled with chocolate chips. And this part is pretty hard too: self control. I really should give them at least a moment to settle and cool a bit. After all, no one likes burnt tastebuds. So after two minutes of painful waiting, I surrendered and bit into a cookie.
Ay me! It was meant to be! These cookies are simply divine. Dark chocolate releases its aphrodisiac trance and its sweetness runs down my mouth. The deep amber flavor is pleasantly unexpected, and as an afterthought, there’s even a hint of toffee lingering behind. The scattering of sea salt is without a doubt, the cherry on top of the sundae. It prevents the cookie from being overwhelming and provides a seductive touch. Dip a corner into coffee and the dark sugars mellow out. It’s an adult version of the classic chocolate chip cookie, grown up from its childhood as the Ordinary Cookie from the Bag.
Now shoo, go make them. Go be enraptured by these to-die-for chocolate chip cookies. Recipe here!
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