Sometimes You Just Need a Cookie

Well, I'm officially done with my Valentine's Day-related posts...and also holidays until Memorial Day. I hate, hate, hate this lull in the year. You'd think I'd have slightly better feelings about it given that my birthday is at the beginning of March, but alas, I've tired of birthdays. Actually, that's not true, I've just tired of my own. I find it exhausting trying to organize people and think of what I want to do. What I want to do is have someone else make choices for me and me to just show up. Since I'm fairly certain this will never happen, I shall hunker down and ride out the next couple of weeks.

On Sunday morning I awoke wanting three things out of the day to cheer me up: to do yoga, to take advantage of the beautiful weather with a trip to the dog park, and to have a cookie. Despite not really being a stress eater, sometimes I really just need a good cookie to make life a little brighter. It's not a craving that can be satisfied by just any cookie, no, it takes a very special cookie to truly hit the spot. Today I found said cookie courtesy of one of my new favorite blogs: Sally's Baking Addiction. I'm telling you, she is a baking genius. I also love that she lives in Baltimore, it allows me to retain a sliver of hope that I will one day run into her on the street. Yes, I have odd dreams...

But in all honesty, this giant cookie was AMAZING. I worried while baking it that I would snap and eat the whole thing (which was definitely not meant to be done by one person in a single setting). Luckily, some willpower still exists inside me and I was able to save half of it for later. Side note, later came today. Although, the cookie did it made it a whole 24 hours, which I was not sure at first would happen, so that's something. Nonetheless, next time you're in the mood for a good pick me up, or just want a really good cookie, I highly suggest this one!

XXL Death By Chocolate Cookie

Courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsps dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsps beaten egg (crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tbsps)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F

2. Combine softened butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamed, then add in egg and vanilla

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to stand mixer bowl and mix with wet ingredients until well combined

4. Stir chocolate chips in by hand. Chill dough in fridge for 15 or so minutes. Cold dough is your BFF (this is my new baking motto)

Balled up and ready to bake

5. Place dough on baking parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a ball. I had some leftover V-day M&Ms lying around, so I speckled the dough ball with them prior to baking

For some perspective, I paired him with a pumpkin kiss....he was massive

6. Bake for about 15 minutes. Although Mr. Cookie will appear soft, let it cool completely on the tray (after removing from the oven) and it will firm up nicely

Yummy, yummy

Best way to spend a Sunday in the kitchen

And when not in the kitchen (or the yoga studio) I spent time on Sunday gushing over the two Bernese siblings that showed up at the dog park. Bax rushed them immediately, which I also loved [note: the little bob on the left is Bax]