CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (TOLL HOUSE)

Just finishing up the last dozen cookies from the latest adventure--chocolate chip cookies. B requested them, after failing to find any "fancy" dessert that he wanted after dinner. So we're back to an old favorite.

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 325 F.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
Beat in eggs.
Gradually add flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes.


Helpful hints:

1. There's been a post circulating Pinterest about the way that ingredients affect how cookies (or muffins or cupcakes or anything else you can think of) come out of the oven. I can't reiterate it enough. Tonight, I took out the butter I was going to use for the cookies, since it has to be softened. I don't have a microwave, and so I always need to be thinking ahead. Well, today was pretty warm, and we decided not to turn the AC on, and then I made dinner and left the butter on the counter in my ridiculously hot kitchen. And you guessed it, the butter was more than softened. It was on its way to becoming melted. And then what did I do? I made the batter and left it on the counter while B and I watched an episode of TV. So not only was the butter already too warm, but I left it out even more before I actually made the cookies. This made the cookies sadly "melty" on the cookie sheet, and bake unevenly. Some on the top are too brown, while others are not quite done. And they are all about 1/4 inch thick and gloppy. But at least they taste good.

2. Parchment paper is my best friend. The recipe calls for a greased cookie sheet, but I never use those anymore. Parchment paper can be reused and it really isn't that expensive. When I got married, my aunt (a wonderful baker that I hope to be one day) furnished my kitchen with everything baking-related. And this included a giant package of parchment paper from King Arthur Flour. Almost a year and a half into my marriage, and I haven't even scratched the surface of that package. And I make a lot of cookies.

3. A cookie scooper. Is there a better word for this? My mom taught me that using one of these (they look like a ice cream scoop, but smaller) ensures that each cookie is the same size. She likes them when she's baking for gifts or for other people at all. I have come to rely on them, just because they make things so much easier. I have three different sizes, and I use each and every one of them.