#MEwx Clouds, rain and Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza

Good morning Augusta.

This morning we have partly sunny skies with scattered showers. Highs in the lower 60s with northwest winds around 10 mph gusting to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight we'll have mostly clear conditions, becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s with light and variable winds.

The wind direction is West Northwest between 4.9 MPH and 7.2 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 29.53, the Absolute pressure is 29.33 and rising with a weather graphic indicating clouds and rain.

We received 0.30 inches of measurable rain here over the past 24 hours.

our outdoor temperature is 57.0°F, the humidity is  99% and the dew point is 56.8°F.

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with sun peaking through the cloud cover.

The UV rating is 0 out of 16, the moon is 90.5% illuminated, the moon phase is waxing gibbous, sunrise is 6:56 am↑ 102° East, sunset is 5:51 pm↑ 257° West, Moonrise is 5:04 pm↑ 100° East, Moonset is 3:29 am↑ 256° West and we'll have 10 hours 54

Minutes of daylight today.

 

Let's get downright ruthless with a giant cookie. Hmm or is this really a pizza?

 

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIZZA

From the New York Times

INGREDIENTS

·         3 ⅔ cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         3 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

·         1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

·         1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

·         2 ½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened

·         1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

·         1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

·         1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1.      Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.

2.      Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes, on medium-high. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until the white streaks of flour just disappear, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir in chocolate chips.

3.      For one large rectangular pizza, transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and flatten out with your fingers or a rubber spatula. For two cookies, divide the dough into two equal pieces on two separate sheet pans lined with parchment paper and flatten into the shape of a circle. Be sure to leave a border of at least 1 1/2 inches as cookie will spread.

4.      Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes. Top as desired (see note). Cut in wedges and serve.

Tip

·         Toppings: warmed fruit jam, marshmallows or marshmallow fluff, fruit leather cut into circles for "pepperoni", dried cherries, Nutella, peanut butter, shredded coconut, sprinkles, Swedish fish "anchovies," "herbs" made from green Nerds candies. Use your imagination.