The Most Delightful Cookies

So many people are always asking me about my chocolate chip cookies. They ask me if it's a family recipe passed down or if it's a secret recipe that I won't share. It's always such a compliment when people ask me! But honestly, all of my "secret" ways are actually really easy.

First off... The best recipe is simply found on the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip package!

Here is the recipe for high altitude that I follow...

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter (2 sticks)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package MILK chocolate chip cookies

Grab a mixing bowl and mix together the flour, salt, baking soda. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and the two sugars.
Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.
Slowly mix in the flour mix.
Add the chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown.



Now here are the little changes that can make your cookies PERFECT.

*The butter should be at room temperature. If it's too cold, it makes it hard to mix and cream with the sugar. If it's melted down in the microwave, it's too runny. I leave my butter out the night before, or at least several hours before I'm ready to use it.

*Depending on how large the eggs are, you may have to add in more flour. The last several times, the eggs have been so big that I have had to add about 1/2 cup extra flour, sometimes more. The way you can tell that you need to add more flour is by touching the cookie dough. If at the end of all the mixing, you touch the dough and it's sticky... It needs more flour. You should be able to pinch the dough and not have it stick to your fingers.

*When your cookies are coming out flat, the first thing to check is if you have enough flour in the mix using the pinching test I just mentioned. The other thing it could be is your baking soda has gone flat. To test if your baking soda still works, get a little glass of vinegar and put a teaspoon of baking soda in. If it doesn't fizz, time to get new baking soda.

*Most people don't believe me with this trick, but I don't use the whole bag of chocolate chips. I use about 3/4 of the bag. And I only ever use milk chocolate. Never, ever semi-sweet. Why have semi-sweet when you can have the full amount of sweetness? :)

*I don't always follow the minute count of the recipe. I consistently watch my cookies. I make sure the edges are golden brown, but I pull them out about a minute early. Most people don't know that they still continue to cook on the inside when you pull them out of the oven and they are still hot. I pull them out a minute early and then leave them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes or so. Then I transfer them to the wire rack. If you pull them off the cookie sheet too soon, the bottom of the cookies will melt through the wire rack. Pulling them out a little early leaves the center of the cookie really soft and they keep for a few days longer. Within an hour of baking them, they go into a sealed container.

Hopefully this helps! Comment below with any questions or success stories!