Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love this American favorite? These cookies are absolutely delicious and rather easy to make. It can be hard to find brown sugar and chocolate chips here in Moscow; I've learned to improvise a bit.

Azbuka Vkusa and Stockmann often carry Billington's brown sugar; look for it there. Real brown sugar can be packed hard into a measuring cup, it doesn't look like typical white sugar. 

As for the chocolate chips, you can often find them at Stockmann's. If not, feel free to take any milk chocolate or dark chocolate candy bar and chop it up! Instead of chocolate chips, you'll have chocolate chunks!

Vanilla extract can be bought at Azbuka, Stockmann's, Globus Gourmet (sometimes) or Hediard. It's basically vanilla beans distilled in vodka.

The following recipe is by Martha Stewart, a woman who is very famous in America for her skill as a cook, decorator and designer. Her company includes a television show, a magazine, and and online shop where you can buy supplies for your home. 

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (306 grams) flour

1/2 teaspoon (2.4 grams) baking soda

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar (not powder)

1 cup (220 grams) packed light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon (4.75 grams) salt

2 teaspoons (9.5 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (304 grams) semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit/176 Celsius degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In another medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy ("cream" means you should mix them very, very well until they combine and form a fluffy cream). Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix! Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. Drop heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (or buttered). A tablespoon is the size of a soup spoon.

3. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies also freeze well.

Makes 30 cookies.