Christmas Cookies

(Cupcakes and Cashmere’s “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.”)

I’m a big fan of Cupcakes and Cashmere, the famous blog by Emily Schuman.  It was my introduction to the world of fashion blogging, and since she is such a consummate blogger and writes regularly, I faithfully read her daily posts the moment I wake up each morning.  I’ll never wear the designer pieces she showcases or take the time to create a glitter manicure, but I love her simple elegance and I look forward to her take on things.  I bought Schuman’s book last summer and enjoyed its simplicity, too.  It’s really a companion piece to her blog and expands upon some of the basic ideas she covers each week, from fashion and decorating tips, to delicious recipes.

Last Thursday was the boys’ last day of school, and I wanted to send something fun and easy for their class parties, so I tried the recipe for “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies,” from the Cupcakes and Cashmere book.  It was simple and delicious, and the boys loved the yummy cookies, so I consider it a huge success!  (This particular recipe is not listed on Schuman’s blog, but there are several other chocolate chip cookie recipes featured there.)

To be perfectly honest, the recipe itself is your basic, run-of-the-mill cookie recipe, but what inspired me to try it was her description of the ingredients.  I’m not a true cook or baker, in that I don’t particularly enjoy the process, but I do keep basic ingredients on hand and I can easily whip up a batch of cookies or muffins if the mood strikes me.

But Schuman discusses the importance of using only the very highest quality ingredients and (this part is key) allowing the butter and egg (this recipe calls for 1 large egg) to warm up to room temperature before adding them.  I’m always a rushed cook, and just grab things as I go, so the idea of waiting for ingredients to reach room temperature was new to me.  I will often melt butter in the microwave to soften it, but this time, I let it sit out for a while, along with the single egg, until they weren’t so cold to the touch.

And since I’m a lazy cook and employ the use of my KitchenAid mixer, I have been known to leave it mixing while I run in the other room to do something, like check on the boys or put some laundry in the dryer.  According to Schuman, over-mixing only results in flat, dry cookies, and I can definitely attest to the truth in that statement.  So this time, I was extremely careful not to leave my mixer unattended, and I was rewarded with three-dimensional cookies that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like the book describes them.

Since they were really for school the next day, I had to ration the boys’ portion, but they were still a big hit!  I stored them in plastic cookie containers overnight, and I think they dried out a bit the next day, making them crunchy, but they still tasted delicious, and I will definitely pay closer attention to my ingredients and mixing time from now on.

Who knew making chocolate chip cookies could be so educational?