Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Basics

I'm Jessica and I love to bake. Baking is something that I have always done to show my love and it finally hit me today that baking is my passion. I hope to spend my last few years in college experimenting with recipes and developing a menu that I will one day debut in my own bakery. This blog will showcase my baking successes and failures and hopefully give you some inspiration of your own. 


I decided to start with the basics. I'm on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. For me, a perfect chocolate chip cookie must be both crunchy and soft, have texture without being too chewy, and have the perfect balance between sweet and salty. The recipe I tried tonight baked up a delicious, yet basic chocolate chip cookie. Although it was very tasty, it was too simple to be the perfect chocolate chip cookie. The search will continue....


Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie

¾ cup butter, softened
¼ cup shortening, butter flavor
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1)   Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
2)   Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on to un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Enjoy!