Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies

We have always been told to treasure the friendships we have in life.  But it's hard to explain why certain friends move in and out of your circle, and others remain over the years.  Maybe it is part and parcel of growing up. 

I had best friends while I was in primary school; friends whom I thought I would grow up with throughout the years.  However, we drifted apart after we went to separate secondary schools, and by no means was it the fault of any of us.  I am compelled to think that geography played a large factor to it.  I met one of them during my university days.  In a certain way, we tried fanning the flame of friendship up again.  Tried as we might, the flame didn't start, and we continued to move along in our own social circles.  To the friendships I have had that fizzled out, I hold on to all the moments that we spent together.  And I still treasure these friends dearly.

Then, there is another group of friends whom you just grow up with, and the friendship seems so effortless despite the many different stages of life that we go through.  I met up with one of these friends just yesterday.   And for our meet up yesterday, I baked chocolate chip cookies.  Somehow, I like the idea of giving food baked from scratch to friends. 

It was a stressless meet up and we had a good catch up over tea and waffles.  He didn't try the chocolate chip cookies there and then, which I was rather relieved by.  I don't think I can handle criticism at face-value. haaa... But he posted on facebook this morning that the cookies were great!  So.. phew! 

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 24

115g of butter, softened
115g of soft brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
250g of self-raising flour
pinch of salt
125g of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 190*C. Line baking trays with baking paper.
- Put butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well, then beat in the egg and vanilla essence.  Sift the flour and salt into the mixture. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Make 24 balls of mixture, put them onto the prepared baking trays, spaced well apart, and flatten slightly.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Leave to cool on the baking trays for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.