My FAVORITE chocolate chip cookies

There are 130,000 recipes for chocolate chip cookies on the internet.  Trust me, I googled it.  :D

I'm not going to say I tried all of them (wow, would that make me a liar, or what?)  I do however, have my preferences.  I love my mom's (and she hardly ever makes them), and my friend Amy has this neighbor who gives her cookies all the time.  Good thing she gets a lot, because I eat half when I come visit!

I never liked chocolate chip cookies when I was a kid - I always opted for peanut butter or oatmeal.  Chocolate chip was too plain.  Now, I am older and wiser.  And I KNOW why I didn't like them!  Not enough chocolate chips!  I have learned throughout the years that my love of chocolate chip cookies grows in proportion to the amount of chocolate.  :)

It's Christmas time, everyone is busy, including me.  I'm not going to make this one a long one...the following is (with a few modifications) my favorite recipe by far.  Of course, feel free as I did, to change what you don't like, and add what you might like.  This is seriously the best recipe if you're one who loves a whole lot of chips in your cookie.  It's amazing at how many you can fit in such a small amount of dough!  Scary.  But delicious.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 20 cookies (if you use the suggested 2 Tsb) but I usually just make small balls and put them on the cookie sheet, and I can get more than two dozen that way


1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped, or you can use oats, although cut the amount down and grind them up a bit

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Some notes that I've made along the way:

~I don't actually use wax paper.  The melted chocolate sticks to it, and when you try to lift off to a plate, you get cookies that are partial.  Of course, if you're patient, and can wait until the cookies are completely cool (and the chips solid) I suppose using wax paper might work.  I've never known though, if that works or not.  I want to eat as soon as they're cool enough to put in my mouth!

~I think the nuts are a good touch, though it depends on how much you like nuts.  I use walnuts, and most of the time, just grind them so they're in small chunks. This way, they're evident in the cookie itself.  That's how I like it.  But some people pulverize their nuts, so that all you have is a fine nutty powder.  I've tried both, and I think they're both delish, but I like a little chunk in my cookie. 

~When you toast them, use parchment paper, pour the correct amount onto the paper, and put that in the oven.  Be creative.  I always add a dash of cinnamon or some nutmeg on top just for a light hint of flavor.  Or you can do them plain.

~ When you cut up the cold butter and try to blend it with the sugars, I don't think it'll work!  I've done this many times, and always, it only starts coming together when I add the egg and the vanilla and soda.  Don't panic, it WILL come together eventually.

~ There is almost not enough dough for the amount of add-ins.  Don't worry - it's supposed to be that way.  :)

~ Lastly, chill the dough an hour before using it.  It makes it easier to work with.  You'll have to bake a bit more than you would normally.  Just keep peeking in the oven.

~Like I mentioned above, if you do use oats, cut the amount down a bit.  And use a food processor to grind them down.  If you don't, then you'll have an oatmeal cookie, and it's not what you wanted, is it? 

~ I use Ghiradelli's for my chocolate.  The bittersweet nibs are the best, but most of the time, I blend a few different kinds into my cookies.  These will be hugely chocolate, so be warned (or not).

~~~

Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate