Soundtrack: I cannot stop listening to Fitz & the Tantrums – Breakin' the Chains of Love (here it is for non-Spotify folks).

Although my self-imposed baking hiatus is officially over, I have not baked anything new. However, when I spent Thanksgiving in Iceland in November, I baked quite a lot. One of the things I baked was the traditional chocolate chip cookie. I suppose if you were to ask an American what s/he thinks of when you tell him/her about cookies, the chocolate chip variety, ever-popular, would come up in the top five.

Chocolate chip cookies
Preheat oven to 375°F

2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (softened or melted – I like to melt it so that the sugar also melts and creates a smoother consistency overall)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag of chocolate chips (12 to 16 ounces, depending on how chunky and chocolaty you want your cookies to be. Most recipes recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips, but that too is very much a matter of personal taste. Milk or dark chocolate would be fine.)
You could add chopped nuts, if desired, as well.

Combine flour, soda, salt. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto ungreased (preferably parchment-lined) baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool on the sheet a few minutes and remove to racks for full cooling.