bad day solution

if you read my other blog, you already know i had a craptastic day. if you dont read it, i'll recap... annoying people on the subway, annoying people at work, annoying people at the lab, annoying people at time warner...

i thought the solution to my bad day was to go out and get myself some Sabra hummus for dinner (seriously, i cant even make it that cheap, so why bother trying? theirs is SO good!) even though it meant changing out of my PJs and back into real clothes...
so i did that, and it was good, but it wasnt good enough...

i needed more. i needed cookies.

(it is worth mentioning that today was supposed to be the start of 'operation: body makeover' but it was squashed by the fact that my shiny new gym membership may be cheaper through our new insurance, which means i need to find out the details before i sign up and spend too much...)

nothing fancy - half of a batch of the good ol fashioned toll house cookie recipe. plus coconut. plus one mistake...

the recipe calls for softened butter... in a very typical moment of impatience, i wanted the butter softened like, 5 minutes ago. so i put it in the microwave. and forgot about it until i heard it bubbling. oops... i thought that i should let it cool before beating, but figured i might as well add the sugar and then cool it... and by cool it, i mean put it in the fridge.

then i got more impatient and added the egg, the vanilla, the salt and the baking soda. and put it back in the fridge.

then i got more impatient and took it out. it was still quite melty, but whatever. i wanted cookies NOW, not in an hour...

so i beat the hell out of the mixture... until it seemed like it came as close to resembling softened butter as possible... it was holding some shape - i figured that was enough, right? mixed in the flour (a bit more than i even should have) and then got a little nervous - the batter seemed more like batter than like dough...

but thank god for that coconut... (not the sweetened kind, the kind you get out of the bulk food bin in the supermarket...) i mixed in the chips and the coconut and i guess the dried coconut soaked up just the right amount of liquid, (liquid caused by melted butter. duh.) cause now it seemed right.

i was still a bit skeptical but wow - thats a mistake i'll make over and over... the cookies are a little crisp on the outside and almost a little cakey on the inside...


the chips are soft but not mushed. and the coconut is there, but its just a hint of flavor... um, yum...

---

Chocolate Chip Coconut Mistake Cookies
screwed up courtesy of the standard Toll House Cookie recipe

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 sticks) butter, melted and then cooled
3/4 cup sugar - half granulated sugar, half packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
scant 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes (not sweetened)


PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

In microwave, melt butter in medium sized (non-metal) mixing bowl. 1 min, 15 seconds should do it.

Mix sugars, vanilla, salt and baking soda in with melted butter. Add egg.
Refrigerate for 5 minutes or more, if you can stand the waiting.

Beat melted butter mixture on medium high until it starts to get lighter, fluffier and hold some shape... probably a good 3 or 4 minutes...

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and coconut. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Dough can also be frozen. Wrap in wax paper, form into a log and wrap the whole thing in a freezer bag. I hear it will last this way for up to 8 weeks, but who the heck has cookie dough in their freezer for 8 weeks???