Chocolate Chip Cookies [updated]

About a year ago, I shared a chocolate chip cookie recipe that at the time was my favorite. I had spent months (maybe years!) trying out different chocolate chip cookie recipes and that one was my favorite. So I used it over and over again and eventually it just stopped being great - the cookies would burn badly around the edges or spread out to be really thin. The recipe was just so inconsistent for me! It might still work for you & I had several great successes with those cookies but I decided to switch!

I decided to try the recipe that comes with the bag of Toll House chocolate chips. Mainly because in the movie ELF, Buddy says "Then, we'll eat a whole roll of Toll House cookie dough!" Well, I totally get why Buddy wants to eat a whole roll of Toll House cookie dough because these cookies were perfection! I will be sticking with this recipe from here on out!

Start by combining 1 cup of softened butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl.

Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 eggs.

 Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Then gradually mix in 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour.

Mix in 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips - depending on how much chocolate you like in your cookies you could increase or decrease this by 1/2 cup.

You could also stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts (I'm interested in doing walnuts or pecans in the future) but if you exclude the nuts, add in 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I use silicone mats instead of parchment).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes (mine were in for 10). Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
yield 5 dozen cookies

ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (this can be increased or decreased by 1/2 cup)
*1 cup of chopped nuts (these are optional. If you exclude the nuts, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour)

directions
1. Combine softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Mix in the vanilla and eggs until well combined.
3. Add in the salt and baking soda. Then, gradually mix in the all-purpose flour.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart along a bakign sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Let me know if you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!