Boost for bikes as Europeans gear up for Coronavirus commute.
U.K. Government Boosts Bicycling And Walking With Ambitious £2 Billion Post-Pandemic Plan
An updated Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will be launched in the summer including:
- Creation of a national cycling and walking commissioner, and inspectorate.
- High standards for permanent infrastructure and cycle infrastructure design guidance across England.
- Creation of a long-term budget for cycling and walking similar to road funding.
- Appointment of a zero-emission city center zones with only electric motor vehicles and other forms of non-polluting transport allowed in the center.
Italian Hero Gino Bartali Died 20 Years Ago—Did His Cycle Rides Save 630 Jews During WWII?
Velonews looks at the history of Italian steel bicycle tube manufacturer, Columbus. Viva l’Italia: Columbus celebrates centennial — and what a century it has been!
What to cook this week:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
There are hundreds of chocolate chip cookies recipes out there. Everyone has their favorite! But, in our mind, this recipe really stands out. Made with melted butter, more brown sugar than white sugar, an extra egg yolk and cornstarch, they are super soft and chewy.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Mix these ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled.
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will help the balls stay together. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. Place 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
