Cinnamon Covered Chocolate Chip Cookies

DECEMBER?! What in the world happened to November?!

Well, let's see... Some girlfriends from California came to visit and we all had a gay ol' time... Then this big storm called the Nor'Easter hit Virginia and we were locked up inside without cable and internet service for about five days... Then Jason went to North Carolina for two weeks to do some training, during which time I didn't cook much (Ah, the plight of cooking for one...)... And for the recent four day Thanksgiving weekend we went on a road trip through Virginia to Gettysburg, PA. Phew! Lots of stuff happened in the last few weeks!


And to tell you the truth, I've sorta been in a cooking rut the past few weeks. You see, it's officially the Holiday season which means it's also officially the Cookies and Sweets season. Everywhere I look - online, in magazines, on t.v. - it's all been about cookies and sweets (and turkey)! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cookies and sweets (and turkey), but I can only have them for dinner so many times before my body starts to fight back...

Anyway, I'm hoping to find some inspiration to make some savory meals along with my sweet treats. I'm thinking about making fresh pasta for the first time sometime later this week but we'll see how that goes! In the meantime I would like to leave you with, yes, a cookie recipe. :)

My friend Sandy described these cookies as "a chocolate chip cookie trying to be a snickerdoodle". What do you think?

Cinnamon Covered Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 30 cookies

adapted slightly from Linda Doeser's 1 Dough, 100 Cookies (p.56)

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp orange extract (or juice)
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
splash of cream (or milk)

1.5 tbsp sugar
1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Then beat in the egg yolk and orange extract.
  
• Mix the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Add the flour & salt mix to the butter/sugar/egg mix in batches, about 3, stirring until the flour is just combined. If the batter is too try, add a splash of cream (or milk) to help it come together. Stir in the chocolate chips until thoroughly combined.

• For the coating: mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Scoop out a tablespoon of the cookie dough, roll them into balls in between your palms, then roll them in the cinnamon mixture to coat. (I found that if you slightly moisten your palms with a few drops of water, it will help you roll the dough into balls without the batter sticking to your hands.) Place on the prepared cookie sheets spaced well apart.

• Bake 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly in the cookie sheet, 5-10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!