How to make Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies in Germany

It's not my habit to blog about anything useful.  But today the weather sucks and my mind will not stop or shut up with the depressing self critical thoughts.  The best way not to fall into a black hole is to do something useful.  I'm going to make some cookies.  Cookies that can not be bought in the store in Germany.  Yes, you can buy chocolate chip cookies here but they will always be hard as rocks.  I probably blogged about cookies a few years ago but whatever.

You will need something from America: alcohol based pure vanilla extract.  I have not been able to find it in any German stores.  If you don't have it you can make some.   Also American measuring spoons and cups or a good head for conversions.

You will also need some special things from stores in Germany.  Real chewy chocolate chip cookies have to be made with brown sugar.  You can only buy raw sugar in Germany.  It's called 'brown sugar' which is confusing but it's not the same thing.  Since you can't buy brown sugar it has to be made.  This is easy, brown sugar is just white sugar mixed with molasses.  I found mine at a health food store in Eutin.

'Melasse' in German

I add about one table spoon of molasses for each cup of sugar.  Voilà, brown sugar.

I used this recipe from allrecipes.com.  It calls for baking soda.  Baking soda is sold at drug stores in Germany and looks like this.

And of course, chocolate chips.  I got mine from Sky for €.99 per bag.  This recipe calls for two cups of chocolate chips.  That equals about three bags.

Ok, so that covers all the ingredients!  Time to make cookies.  First I gave my little helper a spoon to play with.

 Follow recipe exactly.

 Blah blah blah...

Check on baby.

 Blah, blah, blah.

And now possibly the most important step.  DO NOT BAKE!  The cookie dough has to be refrigerated for several hours or the cookies will be flat and not very chewy. 

 

Into the fridge it goes for several hours.

 to be continued....