a decent chocolate chip cookie.

I do not have a go-to chocolate chip recipe. You know what I'm talking about. The never fail, make for any bake sale, whip up on a rainy Sunday afternoon chocolate chip cookie. Sure, I have the recipe for the ones I grew up on — my mom's melt-in-your-mouth oatmeal ones and my grandma's crispy, crumbly ones. But, you see, whenever I make them, they never taste the same and I'm always left with a cookie jar full of disappointment cookies (though J. never complains).

So I still am on the hunt for my own signature chocolate chip cookie. Chewy, yet crispy around the edges, loaded with chocolate and still as good on day three as they are out of the oven.

This recipe came close.

I found the recipe while doing research at work and made it the following weekend for my neighbour's birthday (he got half the recipe, we ate the other half). But, alas, this is not going to be my signature recipe. Don't get me wrong, they were really good cookies, but they're not everything I'm looking for. They didn't spread much in the oven, so I was left with small and thick round cookies. They were delicious out of the oven, but sadly, as the week wore on, they became drier and drier. Yes, I still ate them dunked in milk, but I want a cookie that can hold it's own. If I were to make them again, I'd probably bake them a bit less and see if helps keep them moist and chewy.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Attempt #1
Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (I prefer dark flavourwise, but any brown sugar will work)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (you can use any salt, I just always have sea salt on hand)
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips (or a whatever type of chocolate you prefer)

To make
1. Preheat your oven to 325F.

2. Cream together butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and pour in. Add salt and then add in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in chocolate chips until just combined. 

3. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until edges are nicely browned. Be careful not to overbake or they'll dry out quickly.