Chewy. ‘nuff said.

February’s cold.  Chocolate-chip cookies are divine.  Two truths, of that I’m sure.  In honour of the obvious, I present the quintessential obvious treat.  No fancy drinks this week, just some good, ol’ fashioned, heartwarming food. And, there’s nothing more heartwarming than warm-out-of-the-oven-soft-and-chewy chocolate chip cookies.  

I’m a “chewy” enthusiast—I’ve got no time for a hardened, crispy, inflexible chocolate-chip cookie.  This is a recipe I’ve been fiddling with for some time now, on my life-long quest for the perfect “chewy”-chip.  Serve these at the end of the night, with coffee, tea and harmless fun.  Or, eat them right out of the oven, chug a cold glass of milk, and think rebellious thoughts.  You choose. 

Happy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp.salt

cinnamon to taste (optional)

chocolate chips (as many as you like)

1 cup raw sugar (or brown)

1/2 melted margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup water/vanilla soy milk

1 mashed banana 

• Preheat oven to 350.  Add ingredients together, leaving the soy milk/water for last.  Moderate this last ingredient based on how wet the mixture becomes.  Cookie dough should be only slightly wet, but firm, and hold together when rolled in to balls.  (dough may seem dry at first, but once thoroughly mixed will hold together well.)
• Cookies should bake for 5 minutes, then tray should be rotated for another 5 to 6 minutes of baking. 
• Remove cookies from oven when their shape has set, but do not wait until overly browned. 
• They should seem slightly undercooked when removed from oven – allow to sit for 2 minutes on tray before removing to rack.  Cookies will be delicate, but able to be moved with a spatula…if not, put back in oven for one to two minutes.