Opening Day
Flag climbs the pole. Hand over heart. Pledge of allegiance. Pitch and then start.
Cleats, belt, socks, cup. Wiggly boys, caps tilted up.
Colorful shirts. Numbers on backs. Heads held up high. End of game snacks.
Coaches high-fiving. Hours outside. Teammates cajoling. Parental pride.
So they lost. Who cares?
Chocolate chip cookies make everything better.
...
Recipe for Brown Sugary Chocolate Chip Cookies
Many traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes call for an equal ratio of brown to white sugar. This one's brown sugar heavy, giving the cookies an almost caramelly, butterscotchy sweetness. I tip my (baseball) cap to Lisa Yockelson, whose recipe for Candylike Butterscotch Brittle Cookies in her book Chocolate Chocolate inspired this version.
Makes 38 large cookies
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed cookie sheets with silpats or parchment.
Sift the two flours, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 3 minutes on medium-low speed. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar in 2 additions and continue beating for a minute longer. Scrape down the bowl.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, raising the speed to beat well after each addition. Blend in the two extracts. Scoop in the sifted dry ingredients in several additions, beating gently between each one so the dough absorbs all the flour. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to keep everything smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Use a 1-7/8" scoop (#24) to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. I was able to fit 8 or 9 per sheet. (If making the cookies large like this, be sure to leave plenty of space for them to expand.)
Bake for about 15 minutes total, reversing the position of the baking sheets halfway through. Cool on a wire rack.
