Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tasted my first chocolate chip cookie in the U.S. I am fairly certain the brand must have been Chips Ahoy. I was hooked from the first bite. I remember that any brand of chocolate chip cookies that we got in India didn't taste quite the same. (I must admit, I don't care for Hide and Seek even now.) I had this habit of getting stuff from my parents in return for the first rank in class. From a watch to a bicycle to a badminton racquet to a new bag... the list was endless. When I graduated from University with the first rank and two gold medals, Amma asked me what I'd like. I asked her for a box of expensive chocolate chip cookies. She bought it for me and I'd planned on savouring each cookie. The box was such a disappointment. Hard cookies with huge chunks of chocolate. Hardly what I'd been fantasising about.

The following year, in Paris, I discovered fantastic cookies at Marks and Spencers. I brought them back for friends, family and myself. I figured that I simply had to make these myself. Last year, I discovered a recipe on the Hershey's site. I had a batch of wonderful cookies. But they were extremely "rich". This recipe isn't as rich. And the cookies are a lot chewier. And the fact that each cookie has a mouthful of chocolate chips is not something I'd complain about.

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour or Atta
3/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Beat the sugar and the butter until fluffy and add the essence and the egg and mix well. Fold in the flours and gently stir the chocolate chips in. Grease a cookie sheet and drop spoonfuls of the dough on to the sheet. Leave ample space in between each cookie.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and then store in an air tight container.

I'm sending this plate of these cookies to dear Sig who just celebrated her birthday over the weekend. I meant to post this on Saturday, but I was busy in Chennai with my cousin's wedding. Happy Birthday Sig!

This plate also goes to Meeta as my entry to Meeta's Monthly Mingle. This month's theme is comfort foods. These cookies, along with a glass of milk, is a nice snack. It is one of those foods that help me believe that all is truly well with the world. A warm cookie with a cold glass of milk... aahhh!