I'm Sorry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think I've been a grumpy mommy lately.  Actually, I know I have.  I'm not normally the bad-tempered sort, so I'm attributing my behaviour to my busy days of late.  

More work days than usual, combined with new projects, new freelance work (yippee!), March Break, broken fingers resulting in full arm casts rendering one child less capable then before, hockey for one, hockey for the other, a new job for Rob, homework for the kids, more work for me, a dog that needs walking, lots of company, sleepless nights (note: daylight savings wrecks havoc on me), and so on.  

Don't worry, this isn't a pity party for one.  I love almost everything mentioned above, but I do acknowledge now that the busy months are taking their toll on my pleasantness.  And when I'm busy, and a little overwhelmed, it's natural for me to want to bake to soothe my soul (so logical to add more to my to-do list, I know!).

But this time I needed to bake for the boys, and not me.  Something to remind them that their cheery mom still lives within, and to apologize for being a wee bit huffy lately. The kids are both very sensitive to my cantankerous ways, and I'm positive that if we can say I love you with food, then we can certainly also say I'm sorry. So, I am.  With cookies.  Warm from the oven, wrapped in parchment and tucked into the lunchbox with a note.  

 Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies, adapted from Orangette

A few notes: 

• This recipe comes from the book Good to the Grain.  If you're interested in whole grain baking, this is an excellent resource.
• Although I love dark chocolate, I like to use milk chocolate in this recipe.  I think it pairs nicely with the wheat-y taste of the cookies.
• I use whole wheat pastry flour as I find it to be the best substitute for all-purpose flour.  The original recipe uses the regular whole wheat flour variety, so please feel free to do so.

Recipe:

• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see note above)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Method:

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the sugars and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream together on the lowest speed for 2 minutes or until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at time, mixing well between each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and blend together. 

Slowly add in the flour mixture, beating until just combined.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, pour in the chocolate chips and stir together with a spatula. 

Drop large dollops of batter (approx. 3 tablespoons) onto a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for minimum one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake cookies for 18 minutes, rotating the pans half way through.  Allow to cool and eat while warm if possible.

Comments

[Julie]

Aw, how sweet. I can relate! It's amazing how much you can say with a batch of homemade cookies...

[Zoe]

So nice of you!

I use whole wheat pastry flour, too. Yields a softer, more tender cookie! Save the regular whole wheat flour for yeast bread...

[Minnow]

I can't believe you would ever be grumpy Jan! These look delish. I too have to find my way back into the hearts of the men in my house through their stomachs...i'm sure they are all gone by now (the cookies i mean).