An offer? What offer?

We got an offer today. I can't talk about it. Not because I'm not SUPPOSED to, I just can't, it makes me all twitchy. Let's talk about cookies instead. Specifically, the cookies I've been making for our open houses (and then eating all the leftover cookie dough, no, I'm serious, ALL OF IT.)

From 'Chocolate Chocolate' by Lisa Yockelson. A friend gave me this all-chocolate cookbook for my birthday a few years ago and until just recently I hadn't tried any of the recipes. THEY ARE HARD. And if they aren't hard, they require Fancy or Expensive Ingredients, or they randomly spout things like, "The best texture is achieved by whipping the cream by hand." AS IF. I may enjoy baking, but not THAT much.

(I watched my cousin do this at our little family reunion this summer. But she is an Actual Pastry Chef, ie: a PROFESSIONAL. So, WHATEVER cookbook!) 

ANYWAY. One of my resolutions this year was to bake more often, which is why I have gained ninety-seven pounds since January. Mostly due to these cookies.

Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

3 cups bleached all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 pound plus 5 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons!) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 T vanilla (YES, TABLESPOONS)
13 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used a bag of Ghirardelli bittersweet chips)

Sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. (HA.)

Cream the butter in the large bowl of freestanding electric mixer on moderately low speed for 3 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add light brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla extract. 

On low speed, blend in the sifted (or unsifted!) ingredients in 3 additions, beating until the flour particles are absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently to keep the dough even-textured. Blend in the chocolate chunks. 

Chill the dough for at least an hour. (This is a great time to snack on it.) 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place heaping 2 T size mounds of dough, spacing about 3 inches apart. Keep them high and plump. (Plump!)

Bake for 16 minutes or until set and light and golden on top. Mine are a little flatter than I think they should be, but let me assure you that this doesn't adversely affect the taste in any way.

Of course, mine don't always make it to the Baked stage. 

And okay okay, the Pertinent Details are: 1) we got an offer from the couple I wrote about on Saturday (and as far as I can tell, my assumptions about them are TRUE!) 2) it's $15K under the asking price 3) other than that it's a fairly decent offer and 4) we counter offered and expect to hear back tomorrow (Tuesday) hopefully. I am assuming we will counter that offer, if we get one, as well. So. It's not exciting YET.

In the meantime I have buried St. Joseph in the garden box. 

Comments

[Annie]

1. As has been discussed, chocolate chip cookies are my nemesis. This is mostly because recipe yields SO MANY COOKIES that I always put the extra dough in the fridge so that I can eat it....er, I mean, so that I can make fresh cookies whenever Tim wants them. Yeah, that's it.

2. YAY! Well, subdued yay. I know how nerve-wracking this whole "offer-counter-accept" process is. We'll keep praying.

xoxo

[ccr in MA]

Oh, fingers crossed! Um, about the cookies, that is. La la la, what offer?

[Jess]

Yay offer! $15k below asking price doesn't actually sound like that much to me. Maybe I'm just crazy but we offered $30k below asking and ended up buying the house for $70k below original list. So... $15k almost sounds like small potatoes, even though I know it isn't.

Good luck with the counteroffer! I hope it all works out!

[HereWeGoAJen]

Our first offer on our house made us laugh.

The cookies sound delicious. Perhaps I should make some.

[Lisa]

I'm amazed that you have an offer so quickly. Even if it's not what you wanted...yet. Stressful, isn't it?

[Kate P]

Vanilla and bittersweet chocolate--yummy. Maybe you can call them "minderaser cookies." ;)

[Sara @ Belle Plaine]

My friend's St. Joseph's head broke off after trying to sell their place for 9 months (crappy Chicago market) and the VERY NEXT DAY they got the offer they needed. So, if this one doesn't work out, just cut off his head.

Fingers crossed this one does though! St. Joseph would look pretty silly without a head.

[janey]

Since I'm living my dream through you vicariously, I'm crossing my fingers for you, AND I'm eating those cookies in my mind...delicious!