Amalia's Hard Cookies

I usually hate it when food bloggers write unnecessary personal stories before their recipes, but for this recipe, it is kinda important. Considering the fact that I call them "Hard Cookies", they probably don't sound all that appetizing. These cookies are my best friend's recipe. When we were kids, she used to live close to my home and we would hang out and bake together all the time. She always insisted that crunchy cookies were better than soft cookies, and so whenever given a chance, she would insist upon making these cookies. At the time, I hated them. Because making these cookies meant I had lost the fight over what kind of cookies to make. Being a stubborn little brat, losing a fight did not happen often. But when we went to high school, she moved away, 3,757 miles away, to be exact. And so now whenever I want to feel close to her again, I make these cookies, out of my own free will. And I am not saying that these cookies are only good because of sentimental value, the cookies themselves are actually quite delicious. With their light crisp and crunch, these cookies are a must-try for anyone desiring a large batch of cookies they can gobble up in one sitting without feeling seriously ill.

Ingredients:

• ½ stick, 4 tbsp, unsalted butter, half melted

• 6 tbsps sugar

• 1 egg

• 1-2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together.

3. Then mix in the egg until fully combined.

4. Gradually fold in 1 cup of flour, adding more flour in 1/4 cup increments until your dough doesn't stick to your fingers when poked. Mix in chocolate chunks.

5. On a parchment paper-lined baking pan, flatten out one tbsp of cookie dough per cookie. Keep in mind these cookies barely rise in the oven, so you should make them very flat (Check notes for a picture of the unbaked cookies).

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

7. Remove the cookies from the oven and set them on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Voila! Your cookies are ready to be enjoyed :)

Notes:

• This recipe makes 20-30 cookies depending on their size.

• Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

• When flattened and shaped, the uncooked cookies should be as flat as the picture to the right: