Needle in a Haystack: Cookies

I love cookies. They're so welcoming, comforting, and they range from rustic to elegant all with a certain compact charm. Though cookies are rarely (if ever) as impressive as a cake or elaborate pastry, I believe that the perfect chocolate chip cookie is a measure of one's baking style and skill.

These are my go-to chocolate chip cookies, my mom's recipe... chewy, not overly sweet, and lots of chocolate chips!

Wikipedia tells me that cookies originated in 7th century Persia, but that they first came to North America in the 1600s, and our standard creamed-butter-and-sugar method cookie became common in the 1700s. Even Wikipedia makes note of the compact appeal of cookies... you can send them, pack them, set them out as bite-sized treats, ice them, sandwich them, dip them... they're endlessly versatile.
All this to say what I opened with: I love cookies! So here are some of the cookies I've made and taken pictures of... unfortunately they tend to be gobbled up or given away so quickly I only remember to photograph them once in a while. Expect to see many cookies, especially with the holidays creeping up on us!