Just Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a typical conversation in our house:

Me: “I’m going to make cookies for my blog.”

The Picky Eater: “Oh? What kind?”

Me: “(Insert fancy cookie name here.)”

The Picky Eater: “Can’t you just make chocolate chip cookies?”

As a food writer, I’m always looking for new and interesting recipes to try. Some are twists on old favorites, while others feature exciting ingredient combinations that I just have to explore. The results are things like Chocolate Mint White Chocolate Chip Cookies or Macadamia Nut and Lime Banana Bread.

I love every recipe on my blog, but I think The Picky Eater may be right: Sometimes it's good to go back to

the basics. Chocolate chip cookies are the first ones my mom showed me how to make when I was a child. These “simple” recipes are often the roots of the more complicated ones we food writers find challenging. (See before mentioned Chocolate Mint White Chocolate Chip Cookies.)

Today is The Picky Eater’s birthday, so I made him chocolate chip cookies. This is the basic recipe Mamaw had in her recipe box. It's the one you can find on the back of most chocolate chip bags. I baked half the cookies and froze the un-baked ones for another day.

A simply delicious cookie for a perfectly wonderful husband.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 5 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli.)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and nuts, and turn on the mixer for just a couple of rotations to combine. (Or stir in by hand.)

With a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, or a spoon, drop dollops of cookie dough onto the baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Place the sheets in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time. Remove the sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to stand for 2 or 3 minutes. Place the cooking onto a wire rack to cool. Store in an air-tight container.

Note: For frozen un-baked cookies, just place the frozen dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

and bake at 375 degrees for a minute or two longer than above.