Savoring the end of summer vacation!!!

Today is the last day of my children's summer vacation.... they do not want to come out of their bedrooms, even though I suspect their little tummies are rumbling big!  They want to enjoy sleeping in those extra 5 minutes, and once they get up, I am sure they are going to beg me to let them watch TV, again endlessly..... drink jug fulls of lemonade, enjoy sweets in all forms!!  

                          These are the times I intervene and give them something constructive to do....like cooking or more like baking!  They love to bake, I suspect more so because they get to eat raw cookie dough/brownie/cake batters!!!!  Hahah!  More than the baked products!  I let them do it until I add eggs, fear of egg whites allergy.....but sometimes, I let the indulgent mom in me out and let them eat a little.  Heavily influenced by my mother, I normally make a small cone of "Ganesha/Pillayar" with dough of all forms before I embark on actually making the end product.  In case of the cookie making process...they make a bee line to eat the little Pillayar!!  Cute!!  OK....I do hear cute, faint voices urging me to go down to feed them...will be back to blog their favorite.....yummy chocolate chip cookies!!!!

 Preheat your oven to 350F!
You will need a few simple ingredients that you already might have  in your pantry..... 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 3/4th cup packed brown sugar, 3/4th cup regular granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup softened, unsalted butter, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips...

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together... the flour, the baking soda and salt, set aside....

In another large mixing bowl, add the sugars, softened butter, vanilla and cream them until they are all soft brown in color, and creamy in texture! 

 Add one egg at a time (make sure you get only the egg and not the shell :)))  Tip: But, if at all a small bit sneaks in, use the big shell scoop to pick that out!!!  Will come out easily!  The mixture should look creamy, whipped up and golden like so.....

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (never the other way around...a cardinal rule in baking!), and in batches and mix well. The dough should thicken on mixing...

 Add the chocolate chips, you could customize here...could add heath candy, crushed, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chops, milk chocolate chips, nuts...here is where you make it your own!!!

Now is when my kids enjoy sneaking bits of dough out of the bowl and devour them with utmost pleasure!!!  And....indulgent mom that I happen to be.....shamelessly let them...well...history repeats, only in my case, my dad was in my shoes!!! 

Prepare a baking sheet, by spraying evenly a generous spritz of non-stick spray on it!!  I am sheepishly exhibiting my trusted, well used pan!!

 Bake the cookies in the middle rack of a 350F preheated oven for 11 long minutes!! or at least that's what my kids chime at home...Mom...it takes forever for these yummy cookies to come out!!!!

Rest them in the baking pan for a minute (let them still continue cooking unless they are overly browned already!)

          Transfer them to a cooling rack and store them in an airtight jar!!!                                                                       These are such big hits in my house!!!   I have passed them on to yours....go ahead and create those special memories in your kitchen with your chipmunks...and do get back to me!!!!!  YUM!!!