Stay Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

After I had Alex, my first baby, a group of our friends brought us some goodies to make dinner time easier as we adjusted to the new addition in our family.  Included in the gift pack was some prepared, uncooked chocolate chip cookie dough from a local farmers market.  As most who have nursed a newborn know, and those that have not now do, eating can become a new hobby as the nursing process consumes an extra 500 of a new mom's daily calories.  The cookie dough did not stay uncooked for long.   The cookies that this dough made were the softest and tastiest chocolate chip cookies I had EVER eaten and I HAD to know how to make these cookies.  The ingredients were printed clearly on the container, but it was not enough to know what was in the cookies.  I needed to know how much of each ingredient was required to make the cookies stay soft and taste delicious too.  I set out on a mission to make a stay soft, yummy cookie that was like the homemade farmers market cookies I fell in love with.  Below is the recipe I have been using for years now and with much success.   I am very thankful for friends and the gifts that they give. 

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Real Butter

¾ Cup Brown Sugar (packed)

¾ Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla (if using imitation, use ½ Tbsp for real vanilla)

2 Eggs

2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

3 Cups chocolate chips

  

Directions:

1. Soften butter in microwave so that it is part liquid, part soft solid still.

2. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla together until creamy. 

3. Beat in the eggs and continue until mixture is creamy.

  

4. Add flour, baking soda and salt and continue to beat until smooth.  At this point you have the base for any number of chip or fruit and nut cookies.   Add the chocolate chips and combine thoroughly.  

5. Drop tablespoon size dollops onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or use a cookie scooper).  Bake at 375 for approx 8-10min, rotating half way through the baking process. 

6. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on parchment paper. 

7. Instead of chocolate chips you can also add any number of items during step 4.  Some ideas are, 2 cups white chocolate chips and ½ cup dried cranberries and ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans , add 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa and 3 cups of peanut butter and chocolate chips, or 2 Cups M&M’s candies.  Many options to try, so enjoy!