Let's Talk Cookie

As a child I remember making cookies with my mom, and now as a mother I want to continue that tradition by making cookies with my daughter. For me cookie making is one of the most child-friendly things that a toddler can help with. In my home I am the cookie monster. My kids and husband will eat two or three from an entire batch, leaving me the rest (bummer, right?!). Since this is the case I started making mini cookies that were better suited to small eaters and my waistline. Here are all of my tips for making, baking, and freezing amazing cookies!

First, let's talk chips. See those monster milk chocolate chips on the left? They are as good as they look! Milk chocolate chips will be sweeter than semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and you can use less of them to avoid a sugar coma. Also with the monster chips (Guittard brand) you can use even less. I used 1/2 bag for an entire batch. A tip on vanilla... Real vanilla will give the cookies a deeper sweet flavor than artificial vanilla. I have both in my pantry and my advice would be to use real vanilla with semi or dark chocolate. I did real vanilla with the milk chocolate and it was pushing the limit for me. Vanilla doesn't sweeten the dough itself, it enhances all the sugar flavors and makes them shine. Not a bad thing, just be careful.
















Don't over mix. Have everything measured and ready to be mixed all at the same time (per each recipe step). Adding the sugar to the butter as it is mixing or adding the flour slowly (unless specified) causes cookies to bake funky. Like frisbee funky.

Keep your cookie dough roughly the same size when it is on the sheet. I use a teaspoon to scoop my dough for mini cookies. Cool people like Martha and Paula use ice cream scoopers, but they are usually making huge cookies. Keeping them the same size and evenly spaced will help them all bake evenly...and perfectly.

Keep a close eye on them towards the end of their baking time. Pull them out when they get just golden brown around the edges. They will keep cooking as they sit on the cookie sheet and by the time you get them all off they will be perfect.

To freeze cookie dough, measure it out again on a cookie sheet as if you were going to bake the dough. You can add as many dough balls as you need since they won't be baking and spreading out. Freeze them over night, then the next day put them in either a freezer bag, container, or vacuum seal them. You don't have to thaw the dough out to bake it again (phew!) just bake them like normal. It is a really nice and convenient thing to have cookie dough ready to go in a second's notice!

Last but not least, sit down with a cold glass of milk and enjoy those cookies!