Not Quite Mom's Soft Chocolate Cookies

When I was a kid growing up, my mom made the most delicious soft chocolate cookies.  She got the recipe from a neighbour lady.  Now there must have been some sort of pact made between the two of them because my mom would NEVER share the recipe with ANYONE!  Well, she gave it to me..or I just copied out of her recipe box.  I don't remember how it happened. 
 

To her dying day she would say to me, 'don't you dare give that cookie recipe to anyone', and I vowed I wouldn't.   Let's face it, no cookie is worth the bad Karma you get from breaking a promise to your mother.  So I've been doing some research trying to find a soft chocolate cookie recipe that is ALMOST like my mom's... but not EXACTLY like her recipe.  It would be unkind not to share the chocolate cookie pleasure.

So, with a clear conscience I present to you the recipe for ..

NOT QUITE MOM'S SOFT CHOCOLATE COOKIES 

1/2 cup butter or baking margarine
1 cup soft brown sugar - lightly packed
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.  Line baking sheets with baking paper. 

With an electric mixer,  beat the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat again.  Mix in the cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and baking powder.  

Add about half of the flour and half of the milk.  Mix until incorporated, then add the remaining flour and milk.  Mix  again until everything is combined but DO NOT BEAT.  Beating will activate the gluten and make a tough cookie.

Using a teaspoon or small scoop, drop the cookie batter onto the prepared baking tray.  Leave enough room for the cookies to spread while baking. 

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.  The cookies should puff up and be just 'set'.  I found 10 minutes to be perfect in my oven.  DO NOT OVER BAKE or you won't have soft cookies. 

Leave the cookies on the baking paper to cool completely.  You can eat them just as they are but mom always finished them with a simple frosting. 

SIMPLE FROSTING

1 cup icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Combine the icing sugar with a little milk.  Stir until smooth, adding a drop of milk at a time until you get the consistency you like...thick for spreading or a bit thinner for drizzling.  Using your preferred method, apply frosting to the cookies, then munch!

Now you can enjoy guilt-free, soft chocolate cookies... no promises broken... no bad Karma! Be sure to store the cookies in an airtight container so they stay moist and soft.