Chocolate Chip cookies; recipe and options

1. Tools
1. All measurements are in the English system (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, degrees Fahrenheit)
2. Sturdy mixing bowl, 2 quart or larger
3. Heavy mixing spoon
4. Measuring spoons, measuring cups
5. Cookie sheet, smaller spoon for measuring out dough
6. Conventional oven that can sustain 375 degrees
7. Spatula, cooling rack
2. Ingredients
   1. Phase 1
      1. 1 stick Butter
         1. best: European style
         2. OK: American style
         3. useless: margarine

      2. half cup packed light brown sugar
      1. best: fresh, tightly packed, no lumps
      2. OK: the sugar is a bit stiff with age, but still easily deformable, not hardened
      3. useless: lightly packed or lumpy; sweetness level and consistency suffer
      3. quarter cup white sugar
         1. OK: granulated
         2. also OK: confectioner's for a different kind of sweetness, and an altered consistency

   2. Phase 2
      1. one egg: larger is better
      2. 1 teaspoon vanilla

   3. Phase 3
      1. 1.5 cups of white flour, preferably unbleached, not self-rising
      2. 0.5 teaspoon of soda
      3. 1.0 tablespoon of malt, as in malted milk; preferably Carnation, preferably fresh

   4. Phase 4
      1. 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
      2. 0.5 cup milk chocolate chips
      3. 0.5 cup white chocolate chips
      4. Optional: chopped nuts.

3. Preparation
   1. Phase 1
      1. Let the butter soften at room temperature. Do not microwave or heat on the stove top or oven.
      2. Add the brown and white sugars to the butter in the mixing bowl.
      3. Mix the sugars together until homogeneous to the side of the butter.
         This is a good stage to find and crush lumps in the brown sugar.
      4. Using the mixing spoon or a knife, cut the butter into thin slices.
      5. Use the mixing spoon to incorporate all the sugar into the butter.
      6. Alternately, use a mixer. This has the risk of flying ingredients.
      7. When the sugars and butter are in one uniform mass, proceed to Phase 2.

   2. Phase 2
      1. Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl with the sugar-butter mixture.
      2. To the side, mix the egg and vanilla to rough uniformity.
      3. Mix all ingredients together.

   3. Phase 3
      1. Measure in the flour, malt, and soda into the mixing bowl.
      2. Swirl the dry ingredients to spread the malt and soda through the flour.
      3. Slowly incorporate the dry mixture into the wet. If done quickly, the flour may escape the bowl.
      4. When the mixture is uniform, proceed to Phase 4.

   4. Phase 4
      1. Measure the 3 types of chocolate chips into the mixing bowl; incorporate.
      2. Alternately, use two types, but use a bit more than a half cup each.
      3. Use the spoon to spread the chips throughout the batter.

4. Baking
   1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
   2. Form 12 cookies out of the entire mix, and place on the cookie sheet.
   3. Cook for 10 minutes.
   4. There should be some light brown on the cookies around the edges, but they should also look slightly underdone.

5. Post-baking
   1. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so before taking them off.
      Otherwise they tend to break apart when touched.
   2. Move the cookies to a wire rack for more cooling before storing.
   3. Once cooled, store separated by wax paper.
   4. Good with milk or coffee or straight.