Pregnancy is inherently challenging, but as far as pregnancies go, it seems I’ve had a relatively easy one – no major complications, vomiting, excessive weight gain, swelling or insatiable cravings (fingers crossed for an uneventful third trimester). But one surprising side effect of this pregnancy has been my general disinterest in food. I know, you guys are in total disbelief because anyone who knows me knows that I start thinking about lunch at breakfast, but all the ramen, chicken cutlet, dumplings or rigatoni bolognese couldn’t get this pregnant girl excited right now. However, I have had two cravings (albeit infrequent): (1) pancakes (at all times of the day) and (2) cookies (specifically, chocolate chip cookies).

So as I sat home this past Saturday night (another weekend without wine and feeling too rotund to put on something pretty for a venture outdoors), I decided to whip up a batch of fresh chewy chocolate chip cookies, especially after having two very delicious versions earlier in the week – the big chewy sea salted chocolate chip cookies from City Bakery (YUM!) and a good ol’ warmed old fashion chocolate chip from Starbucks (ALSO YUM!). As a kid, my favorites were the giant warm chocolate chip cookies from the Kings Plaza Mall, but I’m pretty sure most malls these days have done away with those delicious cookie kiosks (and I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a mall – online shopping only).

I had two major requirements for this chocolate chip cookie project: (1) speed (because a pregnant girl who wants cookies wants them FAST and (2) simplicity (I love cooking, but sorta dislike baking and all the scientific precision required, so uncomplicated is essential to my cookie-making happiness). Yes, that means this recipe does not require any chilling before baking! (HOORAY!), fancy/specialty ingredients or complicated tools.

So after 10 (more like 5 impatient) minutes of scouring the web, I cobbled together a few recipes that met my requirements and the contents of my frdige/cupboard. And, since the final cookie result was so ooey gooey good, I woke up this morning thinking I need to write this down before I forget how to recreate them in the future and to share it with other chocolate chip cookie cravers.

The Basics

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 12-14 cookies depending on desired cookie size

Ingredients

1 cup of softened salted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (whichever you prefer or find)
Sea salt for sprinkling before baking

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Let butter melt until completely soft or in a pinch microwave butter for approximately 45 seconds so butter is soft but not hot or liquefied.
Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or simple spatula, beat butter with sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and egg until fully incorporated (but do not overbeat or risk cookies being stiff).
Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until dough is crumbly, somewhere between what appears wet and dry.
Fold in chocolate chips by hand.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (this step is not necessary if you have nonstick cookie sheets, but it sure helps with cleanup and prevents overbaking).
Roll dough into 12 or 14 balls and place on cookie sheet (try to not overcrowd your oven with more than 2 cookie sheets as to cause the temperature to lower – I generally try for one batch at a time).
Bake for 11-12 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry, but barely golden. If browned, your cookies will be overbaked and not chewy (and that would be sad).
Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes then move to wire rack for full cool down.
Eat immediately! Keep the remainder in an airtight container.