The thing about chocolate chip cookies

I could write a love letter to chocolate chip cookies without a doubt. The big ones, the small ones, the chewy ones, the crispy ones, they all hold a special place in my heart. I actually believe that there is some karmic force in each sweet bite that makes the world a better place. Everything is good after a chocolate chip cookie.

Yesterday I was feeling frustrated and agitated, it may have been the rain or the other annoyances that popped up through out the day, regardless I was down in the dumps. So I did what I always do when I feel cranky, two hours of yoga followed by plenty of baking. The yoga, as usual, did wonders, but it was the baking that really turned my frown upside down.I was debating whether or not I should make classic chocolate chip cookies or the Dark Chocolate, Walnut and Golden Raisin Cookies recipe I found by Joy, the blogger from Joy the Baker. I decided I would like to be Joy's new best friend, not only is she a great writer and photographer, her recipes cover just about everything sugar should ever be used for. I would love to be her personal taste tester...Joy if your reading this I promise I will try as many Little Lemon Hazelnut Cakes as you need me to.

So back to cookies..where was I...oh yes, so I was unable to decide between the basic chocolate chip or the dark chocolate cookies...decisions, decisions. Finally I settled on both, I figured the best way to change a bad day was to not only to make one kind of cookie, but two. It was a genius plan.

I began with Joy's recipe while belting out the lyrics to "Je ne veux pas travailler" and dancing around my kitchen as if I was in a ballroom (if you saw my kitchen you would know there is nothing ballroomy about it). They turned out perfectly, thick, chewy with melted chocolate morsels and the perfect walnut crunch. I probably ate half the batter before hand, so at that point I was feeling pretty good. Then I started the next batch, my mother's Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookies...yum. Those were made to the sounds of Mongo Jerry's "In the Summer Time" and a few Hall & Oats tunes so they were bound to turn out well. When all was said and done I was left with two full batches of baked cookies, a stomach full of batter and a big grin on my face.

There were so many cookies I gave a quarter of them to my boyfriend to give to his friends, I brought another half into the office today and there are still enough left to get me, my boyfriend, our roommate and my soon to be in Barcelona mother through the weekend and possibly the next week.

You know what the best part is though, today was a great day, filled with lovely surprises and lots of good things, and you know why? Three little words, Chocolate chip cookies.

Dark Chocolate, Walnut and Golden Raisin Cookies

Adapted from the Joy of Baking

8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate , 60%-72%(chopped or in chips)

3 Tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet.

2. In a double boiler gently melt together the chocolate and butter and stir until all the chocolate melts.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs till they’re thoroughly combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture, then stir in the remaining ingredients, including the chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins.

4. Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful (about the size of a small ping pong ball) onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between the dough balls, as they’ll spread as they bake.

5. Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, until their tops are shiny and cracked. They won’t crack until the very end, so keep a close eye on them; when they’re cracked all the way across the top surface, they’re done. Bake them all the way through, but just barely so that they're still chewy. Remove the cookies from the oven. Wait 5 minutes then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

6. Serve by themselves, with a glass of cold milk or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Mom's Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookies

2 14/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate chunks (sometimes I use a mixture of milk, white and dark chocolate)

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl.

3. In a large bowl beat together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and walnuts (if you are using them).

5. WIth an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.

6. Bake them for 9-11 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let cool.

7. Serve with a glass of milk.