Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hebrews 11:6  Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. This chapter recounts the many characters of the Bible that walked by faith.  It pleases God when it is by faith that we learn to say “the battle is the Lord’s!”  I encourage you today to take those steps and walk by faith!

Over the past year and a half one of the delights of my life has been to meet my neighbors, The Hughes. David and Gaye Hughes have four wonderful children, who are some of nicest, most well mannered children.  One of their daughters, sixteen-year-old Abigail, is also one of the finest young cooks I have ever met.  Abigail loves to treat her family not only to dinner meals that she prepares, but her favorite is to bake cookies and desserts!  Lucky for us we have been the recipients of many of her creations.

Now I have been making chocolate chip cookies since, well – a long time!  But along comes Abigail and her cookies put mine to shame.  They are perfect in size, crispy on the outside but oh so moist and sweet on the inside.  The bottom line is that not all chocolate chip cookies are created equal.  Thank you Abigail for sharing your passion!

The cookies in these pictures came from a batch mom made last week before John and Jeanne and the girls arrived.  Together – we ate them all!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies perfected by Abigail Hughes
Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour ½ cup self-rising flour 1 teaspoon salt 1teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon corn starch 1 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup softened butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 – 12oz. package of chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and cornstarch in bowl and set aside. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter and vanilla.  Beat until creamy, then add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons (it really is best to keep them small) onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Notes from Abigail: The cornstarch is optional I just added that because it makes them rise more without making them heavy.  It works with a lot of cookies. 🙂 The original recipe only calls for ¾  cup of brown sugar but I add a little more. If you are looking to cut sugar, you can back it back  to ¾ cup but they won’t be quite the same. I only bake the cookies for 8 minutes but they are a little gooey when I get them out of the oven.  If you know you’re going to have leftovers for later, I would make them gooey like that because when they cool and dry out a little, they’re JUST right.  🙂

 Food for Thought:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;

I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things;

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I had hoped for.  Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Anonymous Confederate Soldier

Chocolate