Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. Over the years, I’ve gotten so I just make them, no recipe necessary. We have kids at our house all the time, and they have grown to expect cookies. If none are available, they’ll throw on some aprons and drag a chair up to the counter. The best job of all, in the mind of a toddler, is cracking the eggs!

When I know there will be kids waiting for them, I make sure we have them. Just before Abraham found out he and Sarah were to have a child in the coming year, three visitors came. He knew something big was up, “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes (Gen 18:6).”

There’s a song that used to be sung, “If I knew you were coming, I’d have baked a cake.” Well, cookies are little cakes. Chances are Sarah didn’t have any chocolate chips hanging around, or she’d have given those visitors something to remember!

Here’s the Basic Chocolate Chip Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment. Ungreased sheets may be used.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, stir together and set aside.

In another mixing bowl (stand mixer), place the eggs, softened butter, vanilla, and sugars, and beat them together until they are smoothly combined. Always remember to have your eggs and butter at room temperature.

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing a little at a time. Scrape the sides as needed. I use my stand mixer to fully incorporate the ingredients.

Scoop the cookies uniformly onto a baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd them. I also use a cookie scoop…it’s kind of a meatball-maker, but smaller. I get about 4 1/2 dozen cookies out of this recipe, if the kids don’t eat the raw dough up first.

Bake each tray for 8-10 minutes. Take them out before they are completely baked. Let them continue baking as they cool. Remove to cooling racks. Store in airtight container. I like mine bendy, rather than crisp.

I like this Nestlé Toll House recipe as a base, but you can be sure I always find a variation.

Variations:

Mini chocolate chips, always semi-sweet Any kind of chopped nuts

Heath Toffee Pieces mini m&m’s

Caramel, peanut butter, or butterscotch baking pieces

Omit 1/2 cup of flour and swap it out for rolled oats, not instant

You may want to reduce the amount of chocolate chips if you are adding in the other chips, candies, or toffee pieces, so you can keep it to about 3 cups of added tasty bits.