The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever!

I’ve been on P90x for about 2 months now, on an off, doing it whenever I feel like I need to quickly see my abs and thighs as tight as a sprint runner. It really does work. I can only imagine what I’d really be able to accomplish if I followed it to the T and took the diet seriously.

But, I don’t and don’t plan on it anytime soon. I cook for a living, so adhering to someone’s restrictions isn’t even doable. Plus, I like my thighs 90% of the time.

More importantly, I like to eat. I like to eat a lot and I like to indulge myself  in “junk” every now and then. I’ve been in bed for the past 2 days, fighting an on-coming cold, leaving me with no appetite. Tea, hot totties and soup have been short orders. How boring right? So, I sent my friend to grab me some snacks while I lined up movies to entertain me. I didn’t make any specifications, one way or the other. I just wanted something to munch on.

He comes back with reusable bag from ALDI. There’s one 3 blocks from me, I drive past it every day, and have never inquired as to its purpose. It looks like and off-brand automotive store. The parking lot is always packed, though,  so something in there is worthy of a stop. Until recently, I’d never known what it was.

Tell me you’ve heard of this Euro market? The goodies that came out of the eco-friendly bag (which they charge .10 for) had me feeling energetic, long enough to look at the receipt and micro-inspect the ingredients in each package. The cheddar-jalapeño chips were some off-brand, the garden vegetable crackers were off-brand, the popcorn was way off-brand and the chocolate chip cookies were also off-brand–Belmont. I was okay with that, especially since the prices were right! $1.50 for the chips  and $1.69 for the cookies makes it affordable for anyone to shop there–cheap-o! Under $7 for the 4 goodies.

So now that the prices sold me, I was on to the quality of the new found junk. I went for the chips first. Score. The cookies were next and this is where every thing changed.

Understand that I’m a big SoftBatch fan. Well, used to be a huge fan. I like their soft and chewiness, but in recent years have noticed their smaller size and less and less home made taste. And, theirs is not one where I was ever concerned about the ingredients. But when you try to nickel and dime us customers, I back off and look for alternatives. So, when my friend showed up with this Belmont (off-brand  to me) package of cookies, reading “Home Style,” I was eager.

I went for the ingredient list first. As a foodie, home cook, chef and individual whom is interested in the nutritional value of foods we eat (because we really are what we eat) and earnestly working on educating my clients on what I feed them,  I can whole-heartedly appreciate the short list:

unbleached wheat flour, real chocolate chips, baking oil (palm, soybean, canola) brown sugar, fresh eggs, sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla.

That sounds about right, right? That caused an uncanny reaction and tearing the bag apart was nothing unusual. The size and chunkiness of the cookie sufficed for me to love them, instantly.  Biting into one galleta and tasting that real home made flavor was simply icing on the cake! Oh em gee. I’m not a baker, I swear. But I have made cookies from the box and from scratch (the latter always being the best), and these Belmont beauties really do the job of reliving me of  making dough and getting the ratios just right.

The cookies are so darn delicious, I couldn’t share with my friend. The right ingredients stand out (that would be the chips) and if nothing else, you can taste the difference in the flour that was used in comparison to other packaged cookies. I’ve had some nasty home made and store bought cookies, as I’m sure you have. These are plain different.  The chewiness and moisture was perfect. So much so, I greedily indulged in 4 in while in bed last night and another 3 today.

Not exactly the best food to eat when trying to feel better, but feeling better is so about the mind, too.

If only I had the patience of a true baker to make cookies once a week. My life would be so much better and all my woes would seem so frivolous. I’d be inspired to do P90x every day just so that I could eat a cookie a day. In fact, I think these might have inspired me enough to play around with dough and making my own chocolate, ganache and treats that delight the soul.

I’m so giddy about my new find that I’m going to give 2 packages away! All you have to do is share with me your favorite home made cookie recipe and you’re entered. I won’t do a random pick this time. I’ll select one winner based on the ingredients and how delicious the cookie seems to be. I know it’s a bit biased, but I would love a great recipe without referring to gourmand magazines or cookbooks. (oops, I was so out of it yesterday when writing I forgot to include an end date: APRIL 28th! I’ll select someone on the 29th and announce it on Twitter)

I swear you’ll love these cookies. And if you don’t have an ALDI near you, I’ll offer to be your personal shopper when you’re looking for something! I’d be happy to share their goodness with you!

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Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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