Reblog Deux: The Fat Parents, I wrote this one back in October 2011:
…is in fact a disease that I have most recently acquired from my constant and obsessive disorder of staring at both large and small mixing bowls alike, strenuously thinking of the next flour filled goodies that I can conjure up next. It’s no joke, this may also be translated into ‘a baking obsession’. Am I proud of it!? Slighty… But do I condone it!? … probably only about 70% of the time. Which may seem alot, and it is, and I can see it in the increasing pants size of my family. BUT…its creativity, art and construction!! Its is an outlet for boredom and aimlessness, it is a need!! You cannot deny the world that. Wow post number 2 and I’m already selling propaganda…great.This all started on a freezing Auckland morning, nothing to do, and the world of google at my feet. I’m actually taking a semester off uni & I don’t start again till December, so that’s 5 months with nothing to do. So…as you do, instead of getting a job, you think you’re a world-class pastry Chef/Betty Crocker and use up all your mum’s flour and butter to bake a crap batch of cookies that came out looking like failed plumps of cake. And as I stared miserably at this far from delectable tray of round “cake” that were not even fit for my bin. In the innermost crevices of my weird brain, I thought “this is not over, I will master you!”.
And so, the madness began. Facebook who? Youtube what? is that some kind of toothpaste? … it was all recipe this and bake that .COM. from then on out. The art of finding the perfect recipe and going through pictures and pictures of mouth-watering and thigh-increasing treats, I was on a high, none that any social network could ever compare. It was a labor intensive process that did in fact lead me to somewhat master the chocolate chip cookie– Gooey, chewy and chocolatey. My baking obsession has led me to satisfy urges to bake at 2am in the morning, I did some banana and chocolate chip muffins last night actually. But there is a roadblock ahead, and so it seems, I must do some slowing down and cure this disease because as mum said to me after my 5th batch of cookies “You’re making us fat!” …too right mum, too right. Its a good feeling when you pull out that tray of delights and excitement that you crafted from scratch and even more so when they look like the picture on the website. sigh... But tis’ not so good of a feeling when you get an ulcer from too much sugar and a 5kg + on your backside. And thus, I must treadmill and sit-up away the mixing bowl madness and save it for a bake sale or a birthday or a thing when people get together for tea…you know what I mean. And to you I write…it’s not a bad thing, its just a fat/ulcer/diabetes thing? Okay forget I wrote that. But, hobbies come in all different shapes and sizes, as for mine, it comes in a particular size. I leave you with my own gooey chocolate chip recipe, hoping that this will bring a few smiles to your household. Truth is…it’s the smiles that these delicious little treats offer when shared with friends and family that really get me going. So
have a go even if you are abit of an amateur like me
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 whole large egg
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 160° degrees Celsius.
Melt the butter then allow to cool to room temperature. Using a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar on high speed.
*Note: For cookies with a chewier texture, melt the butter and let cool slightly. Use a wooden spoon to mix the cookie dough together. A mixer incorporates more air into the dough, which will give the cookies a cake-like texture.
Next, add the vanilla extract, egg, egg yolk and beat until smooth. Sift the flour and baking soda together. Stir in the salt. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
**Note: The amount of chocolate chips you use depends on how chocolaty you want the cookies to be. Some people find 2 cups of chocolate chips a bit too much.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Using a large soup spoon, form equal size rounds of dough (or use a small ice-cream scoop). Go nuts make them as big as you want, but keep them all the same size. Make sure to leave enough space between each cookie as they will spread out a bit as they bake. Refrigerate for fifteen minutes before baking.
Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden color. Once done, cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before serving or just stuff your mouth with warm cookie whatever works.
Picture: Taken on my phone, its actually the only picture I have of cookies I made and it also happens to be one of the crap batches, but just to put a face to the name, if that makes sense. It doesn't. Ok great. Just look at the picture.
