Chewy Oatmeal Chip Cookies with Cranberries

MAKES 3 DOZEN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 c quick oats
1 c chocolate chips
3/4 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on a high speed for 3 minutes. Beat in one egg at a time then add vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and slowly add into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, chocolate chips, and cranberries.

Drop 2 T spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Perfect Texture Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was on a mission to find the perfect chocolate chip cookies- crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. After reading this article about trouble shooting your cookies, I think I have finally found a good one. 

MAKES 2 DOZEN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

8 oz butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 T vanilla extract

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 5 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for another minute after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well. 

Whist together dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in two or three additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Use a 1 T cookie scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

I found that I needed to add a little more salt and some water to this recipe to get the cookies just right. Make sure to do a test batch of two cookies first to make sure everything is looking good.

Did You Know?: Double Yolk Eggs

Today while baking, I had a big surprise when I cracked an egg and two yolks were inside! I have never come across a double-yolked egg before. I was intrigued enough to do a little research. 

- Most eggs are from hens not kept with cockerels and hence are unfertilized, but the biology of how an unfertilized egg develops is the same as in a fertilized one. The egg is 'assembled' in the hen's oviduct, a process in which the ovum, which consists of the hen's genes plus the yolk, is surrounded by the egg white and the shell. The process is controlled by a series of hormones that tell the hen's body when to make the parts of the egg and in which order. 

- Double-yolk eggs result from an error in this process, caused by yolk production becoming unsynchronized with that of the rest of the egg. 

- Approximately one in every thousand eggs is double-yolked.

- You can get three or more yolks in one egg. The record is a nine-yolker. 

- I assumed a double yolk would be a sign of good luck but I found conflicting information. The Brits believe that it means there will be a death in the family. More commonly, it means a marriage is impending or that twins are possible in my future. 

Info from dailymail.co.uk/ by Michael Hanlon on Feb '10