Chocolate is the New Chocolate: Chocolate Chip Cookies

prob not the greatest picture

Seriously though, it really is. Since it's discovery chocolate has done nothing but bring lots of smiles and make a lot of people rich. It comes in so many forms. You can alter the look and taste of it. You can use it for art purposes. You can dress it down for at home hangouts or dress it up for upscale menus. Certain kinds are even good for you. But there's no mistaking the fact that chocolate always reminds us of comfort and childhood. 

Although I don't much celebrate it, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. So I thought my next few recipe-related posts will have something to do with chocolate. Fellas, (if I even have any male readers at all), women will tell you they want a lot of things. There's nothing like a man that can cook and/or bake. While all the other Joe's are out stocking up on boxed candy that's been on the shelf since Halloween, you could be stunning your lady with your "from scratch" treasures. I guarantee she'll brag that you tried, even if it doesn't come out right or even edible. She'll be glad you put in the time, the effort, and the thought.  

I get asked to make these chocolate chip cookies quite a bit. They've been tested for the last 6 years. I haven't received a complaint yet. I only tweaked a few things from a recipe I got online. Now, I can't remember what the website was that I got it from, otherwise I just would've posted the link and added my notes instead of taking the time to fully type this out. 

This recipe will make at least 80 small cookies. If I'm not giving out out baskets to various folk, I like to ball up all the dough and freeze it Otis Spunkmeyer style.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted sweet cream butter (If you sub the butter you might as well not bake these)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 granulated white sugar
2 (3.4oz) boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tbsp Watkin's Double Strength Vanilla (this brand & variety makes ALL the difference)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups of Nestle Toll-house semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups of Nestle Toll-house milk chocolate chips
**as always 1 cup pecans are optional if you go for that kind of thing
roll of parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a couple of pans with parchment paper. (Note: If you're make the entire batch at once, obviously there won't be enough room to bake them all at once if you're using a standard size home oven. You'll have to bake them in rounds until you get them all done. Maybe 2-4 rounds.

In medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients little by little. Make sure it's well blended. Add the chocolate chips (and nuts if you absolutely must.)

Once mixed, it's best to refrigerate it a couple of hours before to harden so your cookies won't come out super flat. But it's not mandatory or anything.
You can drop them on the pan by the spoonful (or 3 spoonfuls if you like larger cookies.) However, if presentation is important, I suggest you use your hands to roll them into 1.5in balls. Use your finger to press in the middle of the ball on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet. This should help you get them as close to perfectly round as possible.

I like my cookies a little gooey and not quite fully done so I take them out around the 8 minute mark. Just before they're browning. But if you like them done to the point in the picture about, that's about 10-12 minutes. Ovens vary, so just keep your eye on them.

Enjoy that nice plate of cookies with a tall glass of milk or a warm mug of hot cocoa.

If you are giving these as gifts, I suggest you not simply Ziploc bag it. Try stacking them in cellophane bags and tying a nice ribbon around it or using some decorative baker's boxes with a nice handwritten note tag. Personal gifts are always the best. Makes a person feel....thought about.

Don't forget to let me know how your batch turned out.

-Until again-