The Cookie Wars

This blog stuff continues to amaze and perplex me. I have written for over a year now on everything from Sarah Palin's lack of intellectual acuity to the misery that is the St. Louis Rams season. But, nothing has touched the hearts, minds, and apparently the appetites of you the readers like The Great Family Bake-Off. I have apparently touched a nerve. The passion and true dedication that has been expressed over the past few days, as people have done everything short of kiss my feet for recipes, has been remarkable. You people have turned sucking up into an art form. There have been attempts to circumvent the integrity of the voting by stuffing the virtual ballot box and there have been episodes whereby bribes were offered, though never changed hands. I had the unfortunate experience of hearing about my father's prostate. (That should keep me in therapy for a few years!) I even had people try to play on my emotions and trade on friendships. All I can say is "SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!" These are cookies for f@#$ sake. Get a grip people. In the end, while you all have your favourites, it really wasn't a contest. The real winner is the traditional Chocolate Chunk Cookie and as promised the recipe is printed below. If you follow the previous caveats, all should work well, but you should know that this is a truly deadly cookie and a family tradition. Don't mess it up. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 cup White Sugar

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup Butter Softened

1 Egg Beaten

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla 

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional-but worth it!)

1 large 300 gram bar of dark chocolate (70% dark. A full bar of President's Choice is great as is Lindt!) Use the whole bar. Don't skimp on the chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour, soda and salt.

Cream together sugars and butter in a food processor or mixer. Add egg and vanilla and combine well. Add flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.

Chop chocolate into chunks and chop nuts. Add by hand to the dough and combine.  Drop onto cookie sheets in balls. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Cool slightly and transfer to cooling racks.