Honey Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Spring is in the air, graduate school has wrapped up for the spring semester, and the wind carries the feeling of renewal. The next two weeks will be filled with more rest and leisure than I have had in the last four months combined—a welcome break to stretch my limbs and a chance to play around in the kitchen. Even though I have a summer of classes before me (and a graduation date looming on the horizon), the job hunt has already begun.

Reality can never quite escape me completely.

Each job application represents a new road, an unknown path, a concrete possibility in a world filled with dreams. Each application is a window into a potential future, a peak at what my life might become. Even though the process can be arduous, each time I hit the submit button, I take a deep breath as a bright future flashes before me. The moment is brief, but exhilarating. I take a second breath to calm myself down and remind myself not to get my hopes too high. While full of hope and opportunity, job applications can also bring about feelings of rejection and sorrow.

The trick is to keep your head held high, your feet facing forward, and to replace lost dreams with new possibilities. To add new roads to the map of life.

My job search has led me down interesting paths, as I send off applications to other states and cities I have never been. It feels a bit like fishing; I have cast my line and now I must hope the fish are biting. As I anxiously awaited replies (or a lack thereof) this weekend, I made a batch of cookies to calm my nerves. Baking has a way of bringing peace into my life, as I mix ingredients by hand and move slowly around the kitchen to make the moment last longer.

While these Honey Chocolate Chunk Cookies will not make time pass faster, they bring about a sweetness that makes the wait much more bearable.

Honey Chocolate Chunk Cookies have a coveted soft-baked texture that lasts for days. A classic chocolate chunk cookie batter has a few added tablespoons of honey, which lend a soft flavor and chewy nature to the cookies. The addition of whole wheat flour gives the cookies a nutty undertone. Fresh from the oven, warm with melted chocolate, these cookies are a sweet fantasy.

One Year Ago: Tiramisu Cake and Peanut Butter Cornmeal Cookies
Two Years Ago: Vanilla Pear Muffins and Chocolate Filled Buns

Honey Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

8 tablespoons (1 stick or 113 grams) butter
1 cup (195 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cups (125 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (90 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces (170 grams) chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in the chocolate chunks. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 15-20 minutes, or until chilled. Do not skip this step. The cookies will spread out too much if the dough is warm or room temperature.

Drop cookies by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.