Cheesy as it seems, I want to say this - welcome to my new Food Blog!

Introductions-wise, there's nothing much to say because I've put it all up on my blogger profile; basically, I'm studying in University now, 21 years old and I love to cook and bake. Two simple reasons behind the birth of this blog.

I didn't know what recipe to start off with, but it didn't take me long enough to decide that it was best to begin with something simple.





Chocolate chip cookies!

Without a doubt, this is my favourite type of cookie. Chocolate cookies remind me of cold wintry days (even though we don't get winter here, but I can dream all the same), steaming cups of milo and snuggly mornings in bed. They're simple, loved by all and difficult to go wrong with. But somehow, for me, it's a recipe that's very hard to master.

I've tried several chocolate chip recipes now and by far, this one is my favourite. It's posted on the Neiman Marcus website, and according to them there's a myth behind this recipe (I don't know what it is though, they refused to tell!). Maybe it's partially due to the fact that I got a new oven recently, but these cookies are chewy and chocolatey enough, and I just love that brownish-but-not-too-brown colour! I made them last night while my siblings watched the National Day Parade; it was fun, bursting into national day songs together while stirring dough, fighting greedy hands off my dough, and seeing how eager everyone was to try them when they came out of the oven, freshly baked.

I love how this recipe is so simple. I had practically everything on hand for this. It's going to be my go-to cookie recipe for now - so easy to whip up when the homemade cookies craving strikes. I'm still not 100% satisfied though - that's how I am with chocolate chip cookies. There are so many different recipes out there, all labelled as someone's favourite, that I know I'm going to try out a new one sooner or later in the hope that those will top the recipe I currently have.

Who knew simplicity could be so hard to achieve?




Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg (I used two small eggs in replacement as I didn't have any large ones)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (As I didn't have any, I used baking powder here instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted this as my butter was salted)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder (I used cocoa powder as a replacement - it worked out fine!)
1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds).

2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies (I got around 3 dozen instead. Oh well, the more the better!)

Labels: chocolate, cookies, neiman marcus

I've wanted to create a Foodie Blog for ages. Two years, in fact - it's something I've always wanted to do ever since I got into this hobby of baking, but I just never had the time, couldn't be bothered, whatever. It took me quite some time to muster up the motivation.