Mmmm what to do at midnight when you can't sleep.... BAKE!!!

Well since I was wide awake I decided that I was going to bake something. And since I just went to the grocery store, i had plenty of options. But why not some good, yummy, gooey chocolate chip cookies. I decided to fancy my chocolate chip cookies up. Instead of using the usual Toll House or Hershey's, I used the Ghirardelli Milke Chocolate Baking Chips. Ghiradelli have a richer chocolate flavor and the chips are bigger.
 

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips. You can use whatever chips you want. These are onsale this week at Weis 2/$3

Recipe:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softned
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 bag of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Baking Chips

Makes 36 cookies.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt & baking soda. Set aside.

If you don't have a sift, the just mix it with a whisk or spoon just want to make sure everything is incorporated.

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar & granulated sugar in a bowl until creamed.
Add vanilla extract and eggs into mixture and mix together

Note: My grandmother and mom taught me this trick. A cap full is tsp.

.

Once the ingredients are mixed together. Start slowly adding in the flour about a 3/4 cup at a time. Making sure everything is incorporated together. Once you have all the flour mixed in, Add your chocolate chips and mix through.

Mmm cookie dough. So good, you could eat it just like this.

 At this point, you can either freeze the cookie dough and save to make at a later date OR bake now. Take large cookie sheets and spray lightly with cooking spray. I used a soup spoon to create the perfect cookie size. I can fit 12 on one large cookie sheet. Make sure you racks in the oven are in the 2nd and 3rd slot. Start with cookie sheet on the 3rd row. Once cookie's start to rise and take shape. Move to the 2nd row until golden brown. Cookies will be in the oven 10-13 mins. With moving the cookie sheets halfway through will help prevent the bottoms of the cookies from getting burnt. 

Putting the cookies on the racks helps them cool off quicker. I bought these racks at the Dollar Tree. Pack of 2 for $1

Once cookies are done. Put cookies on cooling rack to cool off. Repeat steps until cookies are all done and ENJOY!!! Simple and easy to make and oh so yummy. 

With the thanksgiving approaching this week will be alot of baking. I'll post my pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread later on today. On the list for the week, apple pie, peanut butter pie, and peanut butter cheesecake. Also a green bean casserole. Hope my kitchen is ready for it!!!

Simply Me Cooking

The title says it all. Simply Me Cooking. I grew up watching my grandmother and mother cook various creations. Not always knowing what you were going to make but throwing something together with whatever you had and making something yummy. The house always had a remembrance smells of what had been or what was soon to be served. I love taking recipes and adding my own spin. Or trying to make something I've never made before. I'm obsessed with cook books, magazines, and the food network.
With the thanksgiving holiday coming up, lots of recipes to try!