Neighborly Mini Chip Cookies

Apparently, older adults, say the age of grandparents, are coming out of the woodwork lately, wanting to be friendly with me. I will be at the grocery store looking at produce, and I get chatted up about those pre-wrapped baking potatoes. More than once, I have been mowing the yard, minding my business on a weekday morning, and I get stopped by one neighbor or another, and we start talking about how I enjoy the new neighborhood, how I actually am employed regardless of the ability to mow the yard on a weekday morning, and about any neighborhood gossip my new friends might have.

I don't think twice about these small encounters, until a neighbor
calls me at the bakery, asking me over for dinner. At this time, I
had only met the neighbor once, and hubby hadn't. As we were thinking about this dinner invitation, we had no idea what to expect. When you go into a new situation, what better than bring a sweet, to help the evening go smoothly? And this gives us Neighborly Mini Chip Cookies!

Neighborly Mini Chip Cookies adapted from epicurious
Yields about 85 cookies

10 Tbsp Butter, unsalted, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour, all-purpose unbleached
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

I used Enjoy Life semi-sweet vegan chips, which are awesome, but use whatever you have.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.

Beat butter, sugar, salt and baking soda together in standing mixer until fluffy. Scrape sides, then add egg and vanilla. Scrape sides, then add flour gradually. Mix until incorporated.

Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Using a teaspoon measure, drop dough onto prepped baking sheets. (I fit about 25 cookies per sheet)

Bake 6-7 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom, front to back, halfway through cooking time. Place on cooling rack in pan for 5 minutes, then removing cookies from sheet to continue cooling.

If you are feeling neighborly, take a handful over to a neighbor, I am sure they will welcome the treat! The hubby thinks these are the best cookies I have made in a long time. I take that as a huge compliment coming from a guy who is totally not a sweets fan.