Social Distancing and Chillin (Baking)

As many of you are aware, COVID-19 has grown to become a global pandemic. In order to protect everyone and to avoid hospitals from being exhausted of resources, many nations advise its citizens to practice social distancing and self-quarantine. I have been home since March 12th and have been trying to distract myself from problems this virus has caused. Although it is necessary to address that not everyone has this luxury and will have to regularly face these issues such as loss of income, food/home insecurity, and compromised immunity.

If you can stay home, do so. It is one of the fewest but most impactful things one can do during this crisis. I suggest getting lost in a good book, watching movies, and of course BAKING! A sweet and easy treat you can bake are cookies. My favorites are snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies. Try out these fun recipes with your family or (keep them to yourself... that's fine too hehe)

Cheers,

Danish

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup melted butter

• 1 egg

• 2 1/4 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (can be substituted with chocolate chunks)

Directions:

• Cream the white sugar, brown sugar and butter in a large bowl

• Add the melted butter and egg

• Stir in all the dry ingredients and chocolate chips

• Wrap the cookie dough in saran wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes

• Preheat oven to 375 F

• Scoop the dough with an ice cream scooper into a lined cookie sheet

• Bake for about 12 minutes

• During the half way point, switch the cookie sheet from top to bottom rack. The heat in the top rack will bake the cookies but leave the interior chewy/gooey and the heat from the bottom rack will allow the exterior to crisp up

• Let the cookies cool in the tray before transferring onto a wire rack

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Yield: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup room temperature butter

• 1 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (can be substituted with either lemon or vinegar)

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• Cinnamon-Sugar coating

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy

• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract

• Stir in the dry ingredients

• Wrap the cookie dough in saran wrap for at least 1 hour (the dough is very loose and is easier to work with when chilled)

• Preheat oven to 350 F

• Scoop the dough with an ice cream scooper and roll into the cinnamon-sugar coating before placing in a lined cookie sheet

• Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes

• Let the cookies cool in the tray before transferring onto a wire rack