Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever just NEEDED a cookie? That was my condition by Tuesday afternoon. I'd been up with a coughing kid half of the night. Everyone was grouchy. I was supposed to be getting ready for a meeting that I didn't want to attend. I needed a cookie. ASAP! No time to search my recipes for a more gourmet variety of cookie (I've got some good ones) I grabbed the bag of chocolate chips from the pantry, flipped it over, and made the recipe straight from the back. I measured and mixed and then smelled that mouth watering, cozy, cookie-baking smell. By the time I pulled the first sheet from the oven, I already felt better...before even taking a single bite. Therapeutic baking.

Before I go through the steps to cookie contentment, I'd like to say I realize that many of you know exactly how to bake chocolate chip cookies. Could practically do it in your sleep, right? A couple of the classes I used to teach were Introduction to Foods and Baking. Intro to Foods was a pre-requisite for all of the other "Foods" classes offered in the Family and Consumer Science department. We taught the basics, like how to measure dry ingredients, how to measure liquids, how to read a recipe...you get the idea. It didn't matter whether a kid had been cooking since before they were out of diapers or if they'd never so much as used a microwave. Everyone took the same class. So this post goes out to the beginners. But to all of you baking experts, feel free to stick around and develop a cookie craving.

Here's what you need, according to Nestle: flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla, chocolate chips.


Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Stir together. Set aside.


Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy.



Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


Gradually beat in the flour mixture.


Stir in the chips. Don't these chips look cool?! I saw them in the baking aisle last week and I had to try em' out.


Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I used to have one of those cookie scoops, but I think I lost it in our last move. I use two teaspoons. One to scoop up the dough and the other to scrape the dough off of the spoon and onto the baking sheet. Bake em' for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown



Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.


The recipe yields about 4 1/2 dozen. I put a 1-1/2 dozen in the freezer for later, put a dozen in the cookie jar, and wrapped up a couple dozen for a good friend who watched the kiddos for me while I went to that meeting.



Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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