Chocolate-Studded and Baked

There’s something amazing about cookies. These little circular pieces of baked dough can be filled with nuts or chocolate chips. They can be crunchy or chewy (my favorite!). They can be chocolate chip or sugar or peanut butter or whatever your mind creates. The possibilities are endless.

​This past weekend, we had a house full of family come together to celebrate two graduations: mine from college and my sister’s from high school. When my mom was planning out what she needed to make in order to feed so many mouths, we decided that the weekend couldn’t pass without us making her famous “Graduation Cookies.” Even with all the options, the simplicity of a traditional chocolate chip cookie is perfection.

This version of the Toll House Cookie got its name from being made at my high school graduation party three years ago. They were THE BEST cookies that we had EVER tasted, so somewhere along the way (from making the dough to eating the little chocolate-studded disks) we aptly named them “Graduation Cookies.” These cookies are, obviously, not too healthy, given the presence of sugar and butter, but they’re deliciously soft and incredibly addictive. The two batches that my mom and aunt made one morning were gone by that night. (We all have a sweet tooth.)

My mom actually made a YouTube video to accompany the recipe last year. So below you’ll find both the video and the recipe. ENJOY!

Graduation Cookies

1 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
½ cup tapioca flour
2 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon zanthum gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Gradually add egg and vanilla while mixing.
4. Sift together dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture until blended. Finally, stir in chocolate chips.
5. Portion out onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until light golden brown. Let cookies cool completely.