COOKIES

I just recently found out that the word cookies was derived from the Dutch word koekje (or koekie if informal) which means little cake.

Whenever I still feel hungry after a meal, I always think of cookies for snacks. They are sweet, crispy from the outside but soft on the inside. There are so many ready-mix cookies out in the market, yet it is quite amazing when you made it from scratch and you can't patiently wait in front of the oven until it is perfectly baked into golden. Honestly I cannot say whether it is cheaper when you made it from scratch as compared
with the ready-mix nor cookies available at stores. The thought of making it and sharing it with the ones you love are the most unexplainable feeling you could ever feel, that you won't stop in baking and making good stuff.

There are so many recipes over the net but I find this one friendly (I am a big fan of the site as well). You can try it with your kids, friends or parents. Cooking and baking are ways to bond and have quality time with the people you love.

Ingredients

1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

3/4 cup White sugar, granulated

3/4 cup Brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large Eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) with rack in center of oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
2. In a stainless steel bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy
3. Add white and brown sugar and beat until fluffy (more or less it takes about 2 minutes)
4. Beat eggs one at a time and make sure to beat each well after each addition
5. Add vanilla and beat until well-blended
6. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and salt (I recommend to sift dry ingredients first before incorporating it with the wet ingredients. Just mix all and pass through a fine strainer at least twice. This is done to make sure all three ingredients are well distributed)
7. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (not the other way round) and beat until incorporated
8. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or until firm (the longest would take 2 hours if the mixture or dough is very soft)
9. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough, using two spoons, onto the baking sheets or tray
10. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until edges are golden brown
11. Cool completely on wire rack


Tips:
* You can put any topping you want before baking, like semisweet chocolates chips, Nips, M&M's or even your favorite nuts; and
* You can also freeze the dough either as a whole or into balls. Place it in a plastic bag, seal and freeze. Simply place frozen cookie dough on baking  sheets or tray and bake as directed (it might take a little minute longer though)
Disclaimer: Special thanks to Joy of Baking for the recipe