Two years ago, my dear roommate and best, Jack, introduced me to Smitten Kitchen. Living in the Delta, restaurants other than soul food were very few and far in between. We took to cooking dinner each weekend for us and our friends. Almost always Smitten Kitchen provided the recipe. Her recipes are a sure thing.
Since getting married to my sweet Lang last August, cooking has been quite an adventure. I used to be super granola/bird/rabbit foodie and Lang loved the south and all it's rich delicacies. When we got married and I started cooking, it was a bit of a challenge. However, Smitten Kitchen seemed to have met us halfway. Her recipes are fresh yet full of dimension. They are practical but also gourmet. She has been nothing but a success in our kitchen and a rave at our table.
All that to say, today is a special day. Smitten Kitchen, Deb Perelman, is coming to Louisville Public Library tonight! I'm pretty excited. So thankful for my sweet friend Carol--her love for the public library and knowledge of all sorts of wonderful things. We'll be going tonight. Is it nerdy to get a cookbook signed?
Of course not.
So in leu of her Louisville visit, below is the chocolate chip cookies that are a weekly staple in our house. They are perfect. No adaptations or substitutions necessary. By far the best chocolate chip cookie I've tasted to date. That probably doesn't say much--but if my husband prefers them over toll house, we'll chalk up a victory point.
Smitten's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
from smitten kitchen
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 and grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. I personally don't have a siv, so I usually fluff and combine them with a fork.
In a larger bowl, combine the melted butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until well blended.
Mix in the dry ingredients until just mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Once mixed, drop them onto the greased cookie sheet a tablespoon (for smaller cookies) or a 1/4 cup (for larger) at a time three inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or 15-17.
Bake until the edges are beginning to brown slightly. Cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before moving (otherwise you'll have a chocolatey mess). Allow to completely cool on a rack.
**One thing Lang and I have learned is that they taste pretty dang good refrigerated. I know, its very counterintuitive of any cookie commercial you've ever seen, but don't knock it til you try it.
