I Was Born Ready

"Are you ready? I ask.

We had finished the brownies, piece by piece. Slowly they diminished from the 9x9 square pan. You see, we couldn't put them under the cake dome, the brownies. The cake dome holds the last of the holiday panettone. The panettone that is drying out and all at once has become a dread. Because when one desires chocolate, one does not desire panettone. 

And I wasn't going to bake anything new until we had finished the panettone and the canister of chocolate hazelnut pirouettes. My mind was made up. 

But then something suspicious happens. You find yourself walking down the chocolate aisle of the supermarket. Moments later you're purchasing a bar of 70% dark. Much later you find yourself enjoying a piece with espresso while the panettone, still as silence, rests under the dome.

The day of the cookie...

All day my mind obsessed. I searched for chocolate cookie recipes online when I should have been designing the leave behind piece for a client meeting. When finally at home I labored through cookbooks, when in my mind I knew a piece of dark chocolate would work just as well. But, for some reason I knew that Roberto...that I...needed something more.

Nothing stood out and screamed "Bake me, damn it!".

At that point, a sane person, one who is defined by logic and reason, would make dinner and do quite well with 70% dark. They would not trudge upstairs to their G5, wait for the wireless to pick up signal, and head back to Martha Stewart for recipe of Double Chocolate Cookies. 

In my defense, I was just looking for a single chocolate cookie, but double is fine...whatever. 

Finally, something akin to brownies but aren't brownies. I could have just made brownies again...I guess. 

I scribbled down the recipe quickly and headed back downstairs. I first set 4 oz of baking chocolate and 1 stick of unsalted butter to melt. I combined 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, whisked in a medium bowl. In the stand mixer bowl I combined 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. This whipped together until light and fluffy. I mixed in the melted chocolate and butter, then the dry ingredients. Finally, 4 oz of semi-sweet chips were folded in. 

I doled out the cookie dough to the sheet pan, paying mind to the instructions Martha and her team of experts had laid out. 15 minutes later I pulled the first pan from the 325 degree oven. Anxious for them to cool on the rack, I could only wait until I had slid the second sheet pan in before I was breaking a piece off for a taste.

Chocolate, very well taken care of. Sweet, yes.

Like a junky, I got my fix. 

And I know that Roberto was happy to be enjoying something fresh from the oven, not something stale from the cake dome. 

Just knowing they're there...sealed in a bag, in the bread box, to be eaten one by one. I greet you addiction, with a handshake, a hug, and a kiss.