Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I fancy myself to be a decent cook, but I am a longstanding baking failure.  These two skills don't necessarily go hand in hand and I have moaned about it quite a bit lately.

Recently I received a very timely, rather lengthy, and somewhat threatening email from my good friend Emily. She's a very accomplished baker, not that you can tell from the size of her skinny jeans, but whatever. My recent complaints troubled her deeply enough that she felt it was time to stage a no-nonsense intervention before my children lost all hope for homebaked goods and my husband started sniffing at the neighbors' kitchen doors.

She admonished me to unleash the Baker Within. She pointed me toward an amazing recipe that is designed specifically for high-altitude baking and sent me a private discourse on the do's and dont's for novice bakers.

The result: a paragon of cookie perfection.
I am a baker. I bake.

I made 54 absolutely perfect chocolate chip cookies.  Not doughy.  Not crispy.  Not salty.  Not tough.  Not flat.  Not tasteless.  Not gross.

"Why are you shaking?" Justin asked when I handed him a plate with the first cookie on it. "Are you crying???"

Let this be a lesson for all the little boys and girls who think they will never overcome their weaknesses. You can do it!

Notes for my future self:
1. Set out the butter, margarine, and eggs at least an hour beforehand
2. Cream the butter and sugar for 5 full minutes
3. Use a knife to level off the flour, salt, and baking powder
4. Bake for 11 minutes

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