Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever been the recipient of kindness from a total stranger? I'm talking about a situation where someone you didn't know did something totally unexpected for you, and you were surprised and overwhelmed by their good-hearted actions. This happened to me this week--and these cookies are a thank-you gift.

On Tuesday, I unknowingly misplaced a valuable item and had no idea that I had left it behind until I received a phone call today from the information booth on campus, telling me that they had it and that I could come and pick it up at my earliest convenience.

Additionally, the girl who found it had sent me a message on Facebook to let me know that she had turned it in and hoped that it returned to me okay. I was completely blown away by her initiative and so, so humbled by her kindness. While I am not one of those people who has lost faith in humanity, her sweet and honest actions definitely had me feeling like the Grinch at Christmas when his heart grew three sizes : )

I asked her to drop by my office so I can thank her in person. For that very reason, these cookies had better be PERFECT! : )

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used half white chocolate and half semi-sweet)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until completely incorporated. Add flour mixture in 3 additions; scraping down the bowl after each addition. Mix in chocolate chips.

Either grease cookie sheets or cover in parchment paper. Drop 1 tablespoon-sized balls onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Be prepared for these cookies to spread! Bake 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. (Actually, they spread quite a bit more than I like, even after I refrigerated the dough. They are wonderfully chewy, but thin and fragile. I'll have to dry these again!)

Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

**Update: She came by my office today! She was one of the loveliest, sweetest people I have ever met! We enjoyed a lengthy chat and she was very excited to receive the cookies : )