Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

To me, the perfect chocolate chip cookie is soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate.  I have tried different recipes for chocolate chip cookies over the years but never found a favorite.  One day, I made some small changes to a recipe that I found on the back of a bag of store brand chocolate chips, and I finally found our family favorite.  They are simple to make and turn out perfect every time!

Note: Since I live in a somewhat high altitude area, I use 2 2/3 cup flour.  Without the extra flour, cookies tend to spread on the pan and go flat.  If you live in an area that is closer to sea level, you might want to try 2 1/4 cup like most cookie recipes call for.

 

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter (salted)

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. (rounded) baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 2/3 cup flour

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Soften butter and margarine (I microwave for 10 seconds).  Cream together with a mixer, then add sugar and packed brown sugar and mix well.

Note: I don’t use shortening when I bake because I personally don’t care for it.  I rarely use margarine when I cook, but I have found that using half butter and half margarine in this recipe gives the cookies better flavor, texture, and shape.

Next, add the egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix well.  Stir in the flour and then add chocolate chips.  Now, I know some of you may have issues because I didn’t mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  I promise it is fine to mix this way.  I have always made them like this, and my cookies turn out amazing EVERY TIME.  You are welcome to mix them the traditional way (mixing the dry ingredients first), but I like to save time and extra bowls. 🙂

Form cookie dough and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  I just use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to form the cookies and fit 12 per sheet.  Also, I don’t flatten them; I leave the cookie in a ball.

Bake for 8-9 minutes at 375 degrees.  They will be light golden brown on the edges and might appear slightly undone.  Leave them on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking and then move to a cooling rack.  This will give you a soft, chewy cookie.  If you overcook them, they will be a darker brown, and taste hard and dry.  Enjoy warm with a glass of milk! 🙂

This recipe will make 3 dozen cookies.  My family enjoys them most when they are freshly baked, so I usually just bake 2 dozen (1 for us to eat, 1 for lunches the next day).  I put the rest of the dough in a container in the fridge so we can bake them fresh the next evening. One of the things I love about this recipe is that I can change it up.  My favorite way to make them is with both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips.   Sometimes, I like to use mini chocolate chips or just regular semi-sweet chips.  At Christmas time, I like to add mini baking M&Ms.

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