This is very out of character for me, but today I am posting a dessert recipe made with sugar! Yes, regular ol’ white (and brown) sugar. And here’s the reason why. We wholeheartedly agree that junk food is okay in moderation, but as I’ve said before I think junk food can be broken down into two very different categories…
Traditional Junk Food vs. Artificial Factory-Made Junk Food
Now if you are a real food junkie like me, and you get a hankering for something sweet, I would much rather you eat something like these homemade cookies as opposed to a bag of Chips Ahoy. Not only would this homemade version taste a great deal better, but they would also be better for you due to the following reasons:
- They are made with mostly whole-wheat flour.
- They don’t contain high-fructose corn syrup or artificial additives.
- They can be made with organic ingredients.
Another reason I am posting this recipe is because some who just recently switched to “real food” may not have a good recipe in their files for homemade cookies and cakes. Before our family’s drastic transformation to real food I used to solely rely on Betty Crocker boxed cake mixes for birthday celebrations. When it came time to celebrate the first birthday after our “100 Days of Real Food” pledge I was at a loss for making a homemade cake from scratch. So this cookie recipe will be the first of a (very small!) series for those of us that want to occasionally indulge in something extra special without having to rely on mass produced food.
So just to be clear this is one of the few recipes on this blog that would not be “approved” during the “10 Days of Real Food” pledge, but this could also be the perfect reward after working hard to successfully complete your pledge!
- ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour, pastry or white winter wheat recommended
- ½ cup white flour (or can use all whole-wheat instead)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), slightly colder than room temperature
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a hand-held whisk including the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large, separate bowl use an electric mixer to cream the butter. The butter is the KEY ingredient in this recipe and for best results it must be “slightly” colder than room temperature. I usually take my stick of butter out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a half hour or so before making the cookies. If your butter gets too soft/warm you can alternatively chill the cookie batter after mixing everything together.
- Add the egg, both sugars, and vanilla to butter until well mixed. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary.
- With the electric mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in batches) to the butter mixture.
- With a large spatula stir in the chocolate chips.
- If you have time, and for the very best results, it is recommended that you chill the batter for 10 – 15 minutes before putting the cookies in the oven (even if your butter was the perfect temperature!).
- Put spoonfuls of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7 – 9 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
So GOOD!! I used all whole wheat pastry flour and you can’t even tell the difference. Delicious!!
I am new to baking-after creaming the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla for a while, my mixture still had small chunks of butter in it. What am I doing wrong? Does that mean that the butter I am using is too cold? Or is that the texture that the mixture is supposed to be?
Hi Julie. Did you let the butter soften on the counter for a while?
I used frozen butter so I softened it in the microwave first. Could this have been the problem? The butter may not have been soft enough?
Room temp my dear. I touch it with my finger, when it squishes it’s ready. Haha. Just use a fork to mash up the pieces of butter if it happens again.
[…] Chocolate Chip Cookies – 100 Days of Real Food […]
Is the butter salted or unsalted? Does it matter?
I’ve made cookies with both and with no noticeable difference. Baking purists will say to use unsalted, which i usually do now, but both work equally well.
My hubby was craving cookies and wanted to stop at a bakery. I told him I would make him cookies at home knowing I had this gem of a recipe ready and waiting. He loved them and my 9 year said they were the best cookies he has ever had! Thank you!!!
Just made these and LOVE them!! Seriously, don’t miss the ton of sugar that is usually in cookies. Cannot wait for my kids and husband to try them!
What is the difference between regular flour and pastry flour? I haven’t seen pastry flour at the store.
Hi Kerry. It is a high starch low protein flour used to create a finer texture.