The Wannabe Redheaded Baker: Repaying a Favor

Last week I had to drive to Burbank to fly to Denver. For future reference the Bakersfield airport is closer to my house but I didn't realize that until I was actually driving to Burbank on Sunday. While I was driving my tire pressure light came on. I pulled over at the next exit to check my tires. The light had come on several weeks ago. When that happened I asked Jonathan to put a pressure gauge in my car so I could check the levels if it happened again. Well, when I pulled over I couldn't find the gauge. So I just walked around the car and when none of my tires "looked" low I just kept driving.

The whole time I was in Denver I was worried I was going to come back to the airport and find a flat tire. I had no idea what I'd do if that was the case since I was almost 2 hours from home and Jonathan was in Utah. Luckily my tires still looked okay when I got to the airport. Once I drove home I got a pressure gauge and checked my tires. Turns out my front right tire (last time it was the right rear tire) was 24 psi (it's supposed to be 33). Well, normally I'd get Jonathan's handy dandy CO2 tank (or rather Jonathan would) and top off my tires. But Jonathan had it with him in Utah - he's wheeling so he needs it.

So on Friday when I got to work I drove over to the air station. I assumed there would be a valve or something, but there wasn't. Then I thought maybe if I just clamped the hose on my tire it would start the air flow. I tried that, I could hear air flowing but when I stopped it to check the pressure it was now 13 psi!! Crap... I can't drive on that. So now I'm really in trouble. I called a friend who manages the gas shop (that's where we maintain the light vehicles) and asked if he could help me. Well, within 20 minutes he had one of his guys meet me in the parking lot with one of their service trucks. Within 2 minutes I was back to having a tire full of air! Whew!! What a relief.

So now that I've bored you with that story I share with you the two cookie recipes I made to thank him. The first is found here - Triple Chip Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

I started by creaming the butter and sugars.

Next I added the egg and vanilla

Then the dry ingredients

I used Dutch Processed Cocoa because I like it much better than regular cocoa if it is the only source of chocolate in a recipe.

Last the chips...

I used mini chocolate chips like the recipe.

Lots of yummy goodness! The mini chocolate chips pretty much disappear into the dough but then it's a nice surprise when you bite into the cookie. Very yummy!

I baked two trays at a time. I just left them in the oven until they spread and cooked a bit. Then I left them on the cookie sheet until they were done cooking.

I should have pulled them off after about 7 minutes instead of the full ten. They were a bit dry when they finished cooling completely.

Yummy and rich!

The second cookie is here. I thought a sugar cookie (with a twist) would be a nice contrast to the chocolately goodness of the first cookie. It was a similar exercise to the first.

Cream the butter and sugar.