I love summer, but one thing I can’t stand is ants. In Southern California they show up as soon as temperatures rise. In our previous apartment they only came through the patio door once — a little cinnamon trail solved it. At our current place, however, they seem to appear from every crack. It would be nice if landlords warned tenants: expect ants when it’s warm.
After trying several home remedies, we finally used Terro liquid ant baits. Watching the ants discover the bait and carry it back is oddly fascinating — thirty minutes of entertainment as they went in, fed, and returned to the nest. I suppose I could use more hobbies.
Hopefully the traps will do their job. So far they haven’t reached the kitchen, which is a relief — that’s where all the good stuff is kept.
On my list of most annoying pests, ants share top spots with flies and mosquitoes. Nobody needs them around.
These cookies are more like cake than the crispy cookies I usually prefer. The malted milk powder adds a subtle malted flavor beneath the buttery dough. Nobody guessed the secret ingredient right away, but everyone noticed that these tasted a little different from a standard chocolate chip cookie. The recipe is adapted from Cookies and Cups.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups flour
- ½ cup malted milk powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Directions
- Cream together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Gradually stir in the flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into balls and bake for 11–12 minutes, until the edges are set but centers remain soft. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack.
https://lovintheoven.com/soft-malted-chocolate-chip-cookies/