Olive Oil & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dear Megs,

These are so good. Soooo good. Really, whatever cookies you're eating right now, these are better than them. For real. These are fluffy and gooey and melt-in-your-mouthy all at once.

Olive Oil & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans (optional but unless it'll kill you recommended)
sea salt, coarse

0) Preheat to 375.
1) In a small bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt.
2) In a larger bowl, "cream" olive oil and sugars. It will get soupy, but it won't really get fluffy like it does with butter. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly in between, and then add the vanilla. Now you can put the mixer on high for a minute, just to fluff the eggs out, but don't do it for too long because olive oil can turn bitter if overworked.
3) Add flour gradually.
4) Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5) Using your awesome cookie scoop that you got for Christmas, scoop out blobs of cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. No need to flatten - these will melt into gorgeous little blobby puddles. Which actually sounds sort of gross, but you won't think so when it's cookies.
6) Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of each cookie.
7) Cook for just long enough.
8) I defy you not to spoil your dinner.

Love,

Linz

Some things are best told through butter: Part Two

Dear Linds,

I miss you. I've been missing a lot of people lately. Thankfully, I'm going to see you in less than a week (eek!), but some people, like my little sister, live too far away for a weekend visit. I made her these sugar cookies to send a little love her way:

(It's supposed to look like the United States, with a made-up flight path between our respective locations)

Here's the recipe for the sugary buttery loove:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sale

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended. Refrigerate the dough for on hour before rolling out and cutting your cookies. Bake until golden around edges, about 12 - 15 minutes.

Loves!

Megs

Dear Linds,

Here's a poor picture of my poor pickles. The first bite was good (to be honest, it was a little exciting), but the aftertaste of the vinegar was too strong. Maybe next time I'll buy good vinegar and ingredients that are "supposed" to go together.

Moving on - Tonight I made some of my very yummy butter cookies for Justin's mom's birthday. They say "HAPPY BDAY," and I bought her a cookie cutter to go with them (she expressed that she wanted one after my "MERRY XMAS" cookies this December). Do you ever use the one I sent you? You should. It's fun. When I'm not making them for other people I like to write little messages like "EAT ME" or "BITE ME." I know it's childish, but I've always been a sucker for a good pun. . . I'll probably make you some that say "CONGRATS" when you finish your orals. I hope this one will do for now: