Baking Since I Was a Kid

Baking has always been something I love. From the time when I would help my grandma with the rolling out the cookie dough to baking on a daily basis, I have always loved making sweets. Even though tasting your hard work is a good thing, my favorite part has to be making others happy. I love to make cookies, cupcakes and other things for my friends and family because it is fun to see their reactions. One of my favorite things to make are chocolate chip cookies. There's nothing like biting into a freshly made, warm, chocolate chip cookie. It really is heaven. I've tried many different recipes. Some come out fluffy and cake-like, some are thin and crispy however my favorite is a thin chewy cookie that's soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. One thing that I have noticed that has a made a huge difference in the taste of the cookie is the salt. Yes salt. It's weird to think that something sweet could depend upon the complete opposite flavor of salty. I found that using a good amount of salt really brings out the sweetness of the cookie. People may say that I have three signature things that I make. One is those chocolate chip cookies I just talked about while another is double chocolate white chocolate chip cookie. Sounds good right? They are a mix of unsweetened, semisweet/bittersweet cookies with white chocolate chips. I first got this recipe when I was at a baking camp in Massachusetts. We made a huge batch of them and I had tons left over. When I returned home I shared some with my family and everyone immediately loved them. Ever since then I have made these beloved cookies. The last things that I make consistently are Oreo truffles. People go nuts for these! The funniest part is that it is the easiest thing to make. All you do is mix crushed Oreos, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. You roll them in little balls and then dip them in chocolate. Anytime any of my friends have birthdays, these are the most requested things that I make. I would recommend these easy treats to any chocolate lover. As you can see, I love to bake. However I also love to buy baked things too. I mean who doesn't. One of my favorite places to get amazing cookies is Insomnia Cookies. This is a chain bakery normally located near colleges. The whole idea of this bakery is late night snacks for college students, hence why they are located near colleges. What separates this place from any other ordinary bakery is that they come straight out of the oven as you order them. Now there is something you have to understand. A warm cookie to me is the best thing in the entire world. If I could have one thing before I die, it would be a gooey, warm cookie! That is why this place is in my eyes as good as it gets! -Christina Moore (Class:2)