Today has been such a glorious day. People often mistake cheery, sun-drenched days for the best days, when, in fact, the days awash in mist and grey skies are the nicest. I woke up at 12:30 and ambled down to lunch. Emma, Daniela, and Ellie greeted me with a wonderful proposition of a walk into town to explore the new H&M, poke around Bonkers, and enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate at Bibi's.
The rain was coming down in thin sheets, enough to dampen your hair, but not so much so that you don't want to be outside. The town was blanketed in a sort of quiet that was soothing and even a little exhilarating. There were so many lovely, Christmas-y things in Bonkers that I could barely contain my excitement.
We sat down at a cozy booth in Bibi's, and I ordered a raisin scone with butter and jam and a butterscotch latte. Sitting there was just what I wanted at the time, surrounded by the din of customers eagerly clinking forks against plates and sipping inky coffee from warm mugs. We lingered for quite a while before slowly meandering back to halls.
We curled up in my room, listening to Bing Crosby sing Christmas carols. I turned on the radiator, which sputtered to life and sent pleasingly warm waves into my room. We chatted and gossiped a bit and made lists of Christmas cards we were going to send. The only thing that could have made this day any better would have been a warm slice of the cookie cake we made the other day to nibble at (and Milla as well!)
Cookie cakes always remind me of being young. Every month, an attentive mother would come to school around lunch time bearing a flourescently-iced cookie cake from Mrs. Fields in the mall. Everyone would happily wolf down their slice, hoping to snag a second piece before anyone noticed. This one is infinitely better. The brown sugar warms in up and gives it a bit of a carmel-y flavor. It may seem strange to have salt as well as salted butter, but it really plays up the sweet-salty contrast. There's something so much more satisfying about eating a slice of cookie than biting into a crumbly cookie. Maybe, just maybe, I'll make this day perfect and bake another!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 slices
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat until combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, but be careful not to over-beat. Fold in the chocolate chips. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve with caramel ice cream or a dollop of dulce de leche.
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