12 DAYS & SOFT AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES



Have you ever felt hunger? I mean true hunger, the desperate type where it was the result of not having enough around? I'll share with you some personal insight, not mine but a close friend's. On very rare occasions he will open up and recount his painful memories of going to bed hungry. He would tell me, "It was only a matter of $3, if someone could have spared $3, I would have been able to get something to eat."





Perhaps it was the desperate way he said it that was so heart breaking to me. I felt very uncomfortable because the idea of going hungry in such a state of despair was so foreign to me. But I also felt deep, deep compassion for the painful nature of his shame. Likewise I also felt ashamed for not being able to act on a sense of urgency from years ago, and in hearing his story I witnessed the small bit of humanity and fairness he lost over that time period. There was nothing to do except to shed tears of compassion.



Today I am offering you a chance to help out. I realize that this year continues to be a challenging environment for most people, and we all have to dig deep into our pockets to help out. Share your strength was created to raise awareness about childhood hunger. It is heartbreaking but together we can make a difference.



By clicking on the 12 days of sharing banner on my sidebar and making a donation to Share Our Strength, you'll also be entered in some really great giveaways including a Cuisinart stand mixer valued at $300!  Also, feel free to grab the badge and display it on your own blog! You may also help by spreading the word and tweeting about it, any help would be appreciated!



As part of the Share Our Strength 12 Days of Sharing campaign I am participating in the virtual cookie jar where I share a cookie recipe. As you probably know, I don't often bake sweets very often. I have very little self-restraint, and when it comes to cookies, especially if it is a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, I will demolish them faster than you can say cookie monster.
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This recipe uses the addition of cornstarch to help the cookie retain its soft and moist center. I discovered this on accident one day when I found myself slightly short on all-purpose flour and supplemented with cornstarch. The pictures tells it all: a taller, fatter and softer chocolate chip cookie, and I'm convinced it's because of the cornstarch.



SOFT AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter or 2 sticks, room temperature
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, this should take roughly 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until blended. Mix in the flour mixture gradually roughly a cup at a time. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. 
  3. Scoop roughly 2 tablespoons of cookie dough or roughly the size of golf balls onto ungreased baking sheets. Refrigerate the remaining cookie dough, while waiting for batches in the oven to finish baking.
  4. Bake for roughly 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated oven. The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown.

52 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Wonderful words and scrumptious cookies for the cause.

3 hungry tummies said...

Touching story and a good cause followed by a yummy cookie, very nice :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!! Tweeting this!

((Hugs))

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!! Tweeting this!

((Hugs))

Anonymous said...

How wonderful of you to bring light to such a good and important cause... and the cookies aren't bad either ;), they look really soft and yummy.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

Great recipe... And thanks for the kick in the pants about a great cause. Gonna head over there now and make a donation. I am at a fortunate spot in my life, and want to remember when I wasn;t

Angie's Recipes said...

The cookies look fabulous....you are such an Angel :-))

Cathy said...

I do love all the fancy cookies that are special to this time of year, but my all time favorite is a good chocolate chip cookie.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Beautiful cookies and a very good cause!

White Hot Oven said...

Mmmm... those look so delicious! I love chocolate chip cookies :) All types! But especially soft and chewy ones.

ann low said...

You're an Angel and I love this beautiful cookies.

Sarah said...

Although I have never been in such a situation my heart goes out to those who have... Especially innocent children! I regularly give my time and resources to a local food pantry and have witnessed the heart breaking affects the economy has had on children and families. Share our strength is a wonderful charity and I encourage your readers to think beyond immediate family and friends and remember no amount of giving is too small!

Tara said...

So moving and sad! The cookies look great for a great cause!

Joanne said...

This was a great post girl! Thanks for raising awareness about childhood hunger. I can't say that I've ever known what it's like to be hungry but I DO know that I don't want any child to feel it ever again. I will be donating to this great cause.

Your cookies look fantastic! I would have no restraint around them either. Thanks for the cornstarch tip!

Flour said...

These cookies look fantastic! Thank you for sharing the recipe & the constarch tip:) I will try this next time I make cookies!

KennyT said...

Christine, you're great! This is very touching!

And the cookies you made look so yum!

Mimi said...

Your cookies look so yummy and comforting.
We love Share Our Strength and have held several community bake sales in support of them. If we act together we can end hunger, not only our country but the world as well.
Mimi

The Diva on a Diet said...

What a wonderful post. I love Share Our Strength and will happily click over. So great of you to join this fantastic blogging event, FLB ... oh, and the cookies look mighty fine too! :)

Wandering Coyote said...

Nice post and this is a great cookie recipe. The cornstarch is a great addition; it has no gluten in it but also adds bulk, and you often see it in shortbread recipes. In cookie-making, the less gluten the better, and yes, you'll get a lighter, taller cookie in the end!

chow and chatter said...

great cookies and for a good cause love it

Mardi Michels said...

My favourite kind of cookie - and I love that they're soft and chewy!

The Cooking Photographer said...

When I get home I will donate to this one last Charity. Thanks.

Laura

Erica said...

Its so nice to give during the holidays. Good to remember what its all truly about!

These cookies look amazing. I love a big fluffy cookie

Julia said...

Soft and chewy cookies? Yes, please! And, I'll just have to say you have put succinct words to a poignant subject. It's no wonder you have so many admirers: you are a thoughtful and generous person. Well done.

Unplanned Cooking said...

Touching post and scrumptious cookies.

Simply Life said...

oh those cookies look DELICIOUS!!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful words for a great cause and your cookies are just scrumptious!

Pam said...

It kills me to think that people go to bed hungry.

The cookies look spectacular!

lululu said...

inspirational post!
sometimes work or errands make me not able to eat for a whole day. when i thought that hunger would be enough to kill me, it always reminds me how tough it is for those people who have nothing to eat for DAYS!!!
we are lucky to have at least 3 meals a day. and we are truly lucky to be around with such great homemade sweet treat!

Selba said...

When my dad passed away, my mom only had about USD 2 and 5 cents in her pocket and she was just a housewife without income. It was a very difficult time for us. Good thing that her friends and our neighbors were very kind.

Well, anyway.. it's been a long time ago... :)

Love chewy chocolate chips cookies! Perfect with a glass of cold milk for a night snack :)

Krissy @ The Food Addicts said...

aww, what a sentimental post. those cookies could lift anyone's spirits though :)

TKW said...

Cornstarch...who knew?

You are so right--there's a lot of hardship going on right now in this great nation of ours. We need to help one another through.

NKP said...

A very good reminder for the season, and what perfectly delicious cookies!

Esme said...

Good post-my father is a child of the war so wasting food is the cardinal sin in our house. I think about this often when I see how much food is thrown out.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Very powerful post. It breaks myheart to think of any child going hungry.

Scrumptious looking cookies!

Lori (All That Splatters) said...

I should have checked here first before I made my chocolate chip cookies this morning (or should I say burned my chocolate chip cookies this morning...) I can make all kinds of things, but for some reason, I am chocolate chip cookie-challenged. Maybe because they're not my favorite (though several members of my family have an adoration for them), but I'm bound & determined to get a decent chocolate chip cookie out of my kitchen one day! This will be the next recipe I try. Thanks!!

And thank you also for the reminder that while many of us have so much, many still have so little. It doesn't take much if everyone helped those in need -

Chef E said...

Thanks for keeping us in check, as I am no stranger to being hungry growing up in a large family and parents who tried to keep us feed, and if it was not for churches, and charities we might have not been able to make it at times...

You are a treat, and I am glad I found your site via RED awareness...

Delicious Dishings said...

That story was heartbreaking... I clicked right over to SOS to make a donation. Such a touching post... and delicious-looking cookies!

Sook said...

Wow! These chocolate chip cookies look so chewy and good! I love big, chunky, yet soft chocolate chip cookies. :)

Tricia said...

You have a wonderful way with words, Christine.

Fresh Local and Best said...

Thank you thank you for each and everyone's kind and thoughtful comments!

Hugs and Kisses,

Christine

El said...

Looks like a great cause and some delicious cookies!!! I want one!

Velva said...

There are just some basics rights for all people. One is to never go to bed hungry because there is not enough food. I am always saddened and reminded that a lot of the world does go to bed hungry. A sad reality.

I do love chewy chocolate chip cookies :-)

ChefDruck said...

What an amazing post. I am heading over to make a donation as well, and will do a post tomorrow with my own cookie jar recipe to spread the word. It is so sad to think of people going hungry at this time of the year, and really at any time of the year.

I remember going to bed hungry as a child a few times, not because of lack of money, but because I had been punished and sent up to bed without dinner. I had guilt in my belly in addition to hunger, can't imagine how terrifying it would be to be hungry without cause.

Deb in Hawaii said...

Great post Share Our Strength is a wonderful organization. Your cookies look delicious too.

Travel Eat Love said...

Thank you for this post. It brings an important awareness for us all as we get caught up in our own holiday plans.

Heather S-G said...

And there are so many out there going hungry right now...it pulls at my heart...thank you for reminding us. Your cookies look delicious :)

Yasmeen said...

I'm truly blessed,was never in such desperation.Charity and donation are very important to take care of the less fortunate.thanks for reminding us.hugs:D

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Soft & chewy is our kind of cookie. Thanks for bringing Share the Strength to our attention. It is such a wonderful and worthy cause. It breaks my heart to think of children going hungry.
Sam

Gloria Baker said...

WOW these cookies look amazing and delicious! yummy!! gloria

Joy said...

Thank you for sharing that story with us -- it is very hard to imagine what it must feel like to go to bed hungry. Kudos to you for making the effort to help others along the way -- I always say kindness and compassion is extremely contagious and I am sure you have inspired others to do the same. The cookie recipe looks fabulous and I hope you and your loved ones are having a wonderful time during this Holiday Season. Happy Holidays!!

s said...

Awesome cookies for an equally awesome cause!