Olive oil chocolate chip cookies.

I was trying to make toast this morning [note that 'trying' in reference to 'making toast' sets a very low bar for skill-set expectations today] and was greatly looking forward to my favorite bread, which is an agglomeration of grains that may or may not resemble bird seed, glued together with some dark rye flour. This bread was sliced, and frozen, and as I attempted to prize off a slice with a blunt metal knife, a chunk popped off, skittered away, and launched itself off the edge of the counter.

To land on my big toe.

Dense graininess is not healthy as it plummets like a rock, accelerating with the speed of gravity to terminal velocity before it is stopped from falling any further by your foot.

You know, when the morning starts out like this, that the universe is conspiring against you, and you have two clear paths ahead, of which you must choose one: go back to bed and hide until the day is over, or suck it up and soldier on.

I often yearn for the first.

But really, why waste a perfectly good day with hiding? If it is going to be that kind of day, then you're just tempting fate and could wind up getting hit by a meteorite.

And that would most likely land you on the news. All over the world.

Then all kinds of people would be muttering, over their dinner or to their family or their pet goldfish, 'What on Earth was she doing in bed, at that time of day?'

I'll just take my chances with a conspiring universe, thank you very much.

But that does not mean you can't fight back.

What better way to boost the mood than with a fine lookin' cookie?

One that has olive oil in it, so you can, if you try real hard and squint one eye and jump on your left foot in a circle counter-clockwise singing 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' (e-i-e-i-ooo), convince yourself that they're healthy?

Ok, so healthy may be a wee bit of a stretch. How about taste very good and are not quite as fattening as a more traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe with loads of butter? Plus Old MacDonald and all the farm animals will be happy that these can be made vegan, depending on your choice of chocolate (this, this or this, for example).

Olive oil chocolate chip cookies.
Modified from ...and here we have a tangled web of source citation... the Chicago-Sun Times, via Slice of Feist, via Crepes of Wrath (who has lovely photos), via California Olive Ranch (who has more olive oil dessert recipes than you can shake a stick at and not get your arm tired), via me, to you.

Phew. But you know I am all about the source citation.

Makes about 28 1 tablespoon-sized cookies, shown above, which I like for eating as-is, or 14 2 tablespoon-sized cookies, which I prefer for making ice cream cookie sandwiches.

2 1/4 cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup olive oil*
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar, I used raw
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips, I used mini chips

* You can taste the olive oil in these cookies, although it is not an overpowering flavor. You can be adventurous and choose a peppery olive oil, or you can lean towards a more smooth, mild oil.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the sugars, vanilla and olive oil in a separate, larger bowl, and beat in the eggs one at a time.

I READ: Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients.

I ACTUALLY DO: Dump all the flour/bakingsoda/ salt on top of the sugars/vanilla/olive oil and stir until combined. Lumpy brown sugar and all.

Hey. The universe is conspiring against me, so whatever.

Add the chocolate chips and mix until distributed.

The dough will be a little more ductile than more traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes. If you leave the cookie dough balls out on the counter for more than about 5 minutes, they start to flow (slowly) like blobs of silly putty.

The dough should be tacky but dry enough that you can roll it into cohesive, non-crumbly balls. If you feel your dough is too crumbly, add a bit of soy/cow milk a little dribble at a time until it comes together, up to a tablespoon or two.

Roll approximately 1- or 2-tablespoon-sized blobs of dough into balls (depending on what size cookie you want to make) and position on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly, but completely, golden brown. They will come out of the oven overinflated like Hindenburg blimps, and gradually deflate to a craggy surface during cooling. They are fragile when hot, so let them cool on the sheet until finger-touchable, then transfer to a wire rack to complete the cooling process.