Jan 22, 2014, Updated Apr 28, 2023 (I hear longtime readers saying, “duh” in unison. Hi guys! I love you!) Most days it’s nothing extravagant – a few spoonfuls of full-fat plain yogurt with a drizzle of maple syrup, a few soft dates, a piece of juicy in-season fruit or – in the dead of winter – some half-thawed frozen cherries. But sometimes (okay… very, very often) nothing but a cookie or sliver of cake will scratch the itch. My sister Kathleener-wienerbean-McNugget (others call her Katie) and I are both CCC maniacs. Though we each have our favourite version that we consider the best, we agree that they are absolutely perfect when the cookie has cooled but the chocolate is still melty. This version is MY best – perfect chewy-crispy balance; enough brown sugar to lend a heady caramel undertone and nice chew without overwhelming the flavour or making them too soft; just the right amount of flour so that they hold a nice toothsome texture that’s thick enough, but not cakey; studded with shards of good quality dark chocolate rather than Chipits; enough salt to nuance the dough beyond just sweet, and a good hit of vanilla. Because there’s just the two (well, three, but little peanut has yet to experience sugar-butter nirvana) of us here, I usually bake about 6 cookies fresh and freeze the rest of the dough. I just portion it out in tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet, and pop the dough balls in the freezer until firm. Then I zip them into a freezer bag, and have cookies ready to throw in the oven at a moment’s notice (just reduce the oven temp by 25 degrees F and bake for a couple minutes longer – watch them, you’ll know when they’re done). I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to share these with you – it’s like when you forget to tell your big news to your best friend because you just assume you’ve already told her. Do you do that? Go bake CCCs!
