Back to school time is cookie season for us – I don’t know whether I make them out of self-preservation or to fill lunchboxes. Everyone needs a little comforting treat when summer comes to an end, and I like baking a batch of cookies on the weekend to wrap and tuck into lunch boxes all week. Sometimes, when I’m really on the ball, I’ll make and freeze balls of dough so I have something to slide into the oven after school – there’s nothing like walking in the door after a long day and the house smells like chocolate. Bonus: with a stash of dough, you can bake a few at a time in the toaster oven, and not have a couple dozen to eat your way through.
To freeze and bake, freeze balls on a sheet and then transfer to a freezer bag; take them out, place them on a parchment-lined sheet and let them sit while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
- 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until pale and almost fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and stir or beat on low until almost combined; add the chocolate chips and stir just until blended.
- Drop dough by the spoonful onto a parchment-lined sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on their size) until set around the edges but still soft in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
