Back to the basics...

Sometimes when I am looking for something to bake, I get distracted. Distracted with things like caramel, peanut butter, custard and the likes. Not that these are bad things. Far from it. But sometimes really yummy things get forgotten about. Really basic stuff. Like cookies! 

These are my two favorite cookie recipes, and really- how can you go wrong? If you need to bring dessert somewhere, you don't have to worry about someone being allergic to peanut butter, or not liking custard. These cookies are about as basic as you can get, and they are just delicious, plain and simple.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks margarine

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 3/4 - 3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt 

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Using a mixer, cream margarine. Add sugars and beat until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, and let beat for at least five minutes, until very creamy. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. The batter should be thick enough that you can pick up some dough without your hands getting all sticky, but thin enough that the chocolate chips stay inside the dough and don't fall to the bottom. Its a hard balance to find! Generally 2 3/4 cups flour is enough, but on a hot day, sometimes it needs 3 cups.  If you accidentally added too much flour, you can add some milk/soy milk ,  1 tablespoon at a time. Drop by teaspoon on a baking sheet, and bake for exactly 11 minutes. Cookies may look underdone, but they harden as they cool. 

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1 1/4 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for exactly 10 minutes, do not overbake!

Now go bake some cookies!!