Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

Love, affection, caring.  It seems to me we all could use a little more of this in our daily lives.  Even just loving ourselves a tiny bit more.

One of the easiest ways to show you care is to bake and share with a loved one or one you wish to love or one you'd like to pamper or the cute guy you have been creeping or the ...well I think you get my drift.  While grand gestures always make great reality t.v. and fantasies, most of us would kill for just a little display of affection.    The simple act of sharing something you made in the kitchen with another makes both them and us feel good.  It seems to resonate deep within us when we receive a homemade cookie or brownie.  Maybe we remember our moms baking something special for us...maybe it was for our birthdays or for a special occasion.  It doesn't matter whether the finished product was made from scratch or just by adding a cup of water and an egg to a mix, someone cared enough to set aside a little pocket of time to do something special for us.

Even if you were in a situation where you never had anything made specially for you it is interesting to note we still crave this little act of affection and recognize the warm feeling we get inside.

Really, it could be a bunch of flowers, a special CD, anything, just the fact someone took a minute to do something for us can make our day, heck our whole month!  It is one of those simple things we remember.

Butter, Brown Sugar, White Sugar and Eggs all nicely creamed.

Today's simple recipe is for a tasty treat and basically foolproof, easy and delicious chocolate chip cookie.  Make some for yourself just because you can... you deserve something warm and sweet and homemade just as much as the next person or for that special someone.

Cookie Dough ready to bake.

Instead of the chocolate chips add in mini M&M's, white chocolate or dark chocolate chips.  Whatever makes you happy.  I baked them in a heart shaped cake pan until the edges turned light brown.  You can drop by spoonfuls as the recipe suggests or make 1-2 large round cookies.  The dough is easy to form into a ball and pat out lightly.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tip:  You may want  to cut bake on the 2 cups of chocolate add-ins but this is what makes the cookie so great.  Otherwise you just have a cookie base scattered with a few chocolate bits.  Go for it!

About 20 minutes to put together and about 8 minutes to bake.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, mini M&M's

In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar.  Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.

Gradually stir in flour mixture until just combined.  Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop approximately 1 tbsp of dough and place on prepared sheets.  Repeat with remaining dough, placing at least 2 inches apart on sheet to allow for spreading.

Bake in center of oven for approximately 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden around the edges.

Remove and let cool completely...if you are able!