Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - Take One

  Today I met my Interminably Long Baking Project - aka, making the chocolate chip cookies that you only dream about eating in your sleep and then when you wake up you have absolutely no idea what the recipe is or the process of perfection - but the taste lingers on, well past your morning banana. 

 Oh. You don't have dreams like that? Ah. I see.

This is almost awkward.

Ok, so here's the thing. This whole not having eggs thing normally doesn't bother me in the least - they're nutritionally not important, I can't stand the smell of them, and they add fat and calories where I'd rather have either A) none or 2) chocolate. 

But making cookies without eggs, frankly, can be tedious. Unless you use pumpkin. Pumpkin makes good cookies...I think we'll be having pumpkin cookies next week....Anywho...

Can I make cookies without eggs? You bet your sweet bippy I can. They're pretty darn decent, too! No eggs, no oil, no refined sugar and yes they even taste good! I can whip up a nod-worthy no bake cookie peanut butter cookie ball, too. 

Go ahead and lick the beaters! No eggs, remember?  

But it's the texture!!!! Oh, how I miss a nice, fluffy, cakey, soft, chocolate chip cookie! Not those thin things that spread all over the cookie sheet, either. A good solid cookie, with like three eggs in the batch. This texture can be achieved with the addition of a fruit puree of some sort; it works marvelously - but sometimes ya just don't wanna taste banana in your cookie, and every now and then pumpkin wears on ones food-nerves. Know what I mean?

So today we made cookies. We who? We me and the cat! Katie's a pretty good girl, just sits and watches, doesn't talk back, meows some encouragement occasionally, and donates the odd cat hair or two to the recipe. I'm joking!! (I think...)

Miss Katie enjoys a little cookie dough, herself.

Now, these came out pretty darn well! I was pleased with them, that cute pastor of mine (refresh your memory in the About Me section if you need to) says they're good, and the kids won't keep their mitts out of the zippy bag - but they're just not perfect yet.

They're not the cookies of my dreams...

I like my tea in a beaker

But heck, they're the cookies in my kitchen and I feel a cuppa Earl Grey comin' on - nook them for a few seconds right before you eat them, it seriously adds to the yumminess. Enjoy!

Makes 2 or 3 dozen, depending on how big you make them. We like a variety of sizes here, from pop-able to large-ish snack sized.

 ·         2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda
·         14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter (we use Earth Balance) – room temperature
·         3/4 cup granulated sugar
·         1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar OR
·         1/3 cup pure maple syrup
·         1 teaspoon salt
·         2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
·         1 tablespoon lemon juice
·         3 teaspoons egg replacer + 4 tablespoons water, mixed up last minute
·         2 cups (about 12 ounces) chocolate chips – we use non-dairy brands

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and egg replacement. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by whatever sized spoonfuls you’d like onto an ungreased baking sheet –about 2 inches apart.  Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.