Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies [Hershey's Kitchen recipe]

This was my first time baking chocolate chip cookies from scratch. I downloaded the recipe from Hershey's Kitchen website last month and baked these cookies yesterday evening. I followed the baking instructions and I baked about 40 cookies total (and not 60 cookies per the recipe). It was a success! I'm so happy that the cookies turned out great. Here is the recipe below. [BTW, I brought regular chocolate chips. I also didn't add any chopped nuts into my cookies.]

HERSHEY'S Classic Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies


Skill Level: Beginner
Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs 
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips 
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1 Heat oven to 375°F.

2 Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

Pan Recipe: Spread batter into greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 375°F. 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 48 bars.

Japanese Goodies from Narita Airport

On my last day in Japan, I used up all of the remaining money that I had and brought a bunch of Japanese goodies at Narita Airport. This where you can buy some of the best Japanese snacks for your family and friends. I also highly recommend to check out the grocery stores in Japan since they would sell Japanese snacks too (obviously) and it's a bit cheaper than the convenient stores (e.g. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, or Lawson 100 Yen Shop). However, the grocery stores don't have everything though.  I brought the following at the airport:

• Alfort White Chocolate for 105 Yen (About $1.35 USD)
• Alfort Chocolate for 105 Yen (About $1.35 USD)
• Imaccha Chocolate Daifukui for 525 Yen (About $6.75 USD)
• 4 boxes of Green Tea Mochi (Daifukui) for 1000 Yen (About $12.85 USD)
• 2 boxes Pocky Panda for 168 Yen (About $2.16 USD)
• White Chocolate Kit Kat 126 Yen (About $1.62 USD)
• Strawberry Kit Kat 136 Yen (About $1.75 USD)
• Yubari Melon Kit Kat 136 Yen (About $1.75 USD)
• 1 box of Green Tea [Matcha] Kit Kat; there are 10 packs inside for 1,360 Yen (About $17.45 USD)
• Cheesecake Kit Kat "Yokohama Edition," there are 12 mini packs inside for 840 Yen (About $10.80 USD)
• Annin Dofu Kit Kat, there are 12 mini packs inside for 840 Yen (About $10.80 USD)
• 2 boxes of ROYCE' Nama Chocolate Au Lait Flavor for 1,348 Yen (About $17.80 USD) - Brought from the "ANA FESTA kiosk." The Kit Kats at this kiosk were probably more expensive by like 5 Yen and you don't get a free Kit Kat pack even if you brought a lot.

Yup, these are the things that I brought from the airport. A lot of stuff, right? ;)

ROYCE' Nama Chocolate (Au Lait Flavor)

Website: http://www.e-royce.com/english/product_nama.html

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars!!!

The 1st time that I ever tried ROYCE' Nama Chocolates (Au Lait flavor) was from my grad. school friend. The chocolate is smooth, soft, and melts in your mouth. It's so GOOD! You would use the tiny spatula that was provided to pick up the cubed chocolates to eat. These chocolates also kinda reminds me of a chocolate truffle that I ate a very long time ago and I don't recall the brand. So, back in July our neighbors brought us a box from their trip to Japan and I was so happy that they brought these for us. During my recent trip to Japan, I also brought two boxes of these at Narita Airport during my flight back to Bangkok and it costs 693 Yen a box (About $8.89 USD). I wanted to buy more, but I was afraid that the chocolate would melt and I want to buy other Japanese goodies at the airport.

I would highly recommend for everyone to try ROYCE' Nama Chocolates when you visit Japan. There are other flavors too and I have tried the Au Lait flavor thus far. ROYCE' offers many other products so just browse around their website. There are outlets in Thailand that sells ROYCE' but there aren't any outlets in the USA.

Sakura Macha Kit Kat

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

My grad. school friend when to Japan for about 1 week back in February 2011 and brought back some "Sakura Macha" flavored Kit Kat for me and my other grad. school friends. The Kit Kat tasted pretty good but the green tea flavor wasn't strong enough. It tasted more of a vanilla flavor. There are 4 Kit Kat sticks in total (2 in each small package). This type of Kit Kat could only be found in Japan or on a website that sells Japanese candies/snacks.