What’s not to love about my cookies…

For many years, if I asked my kids what they loved most about me, their response would always be “you make the best chocolate chip cookies.”

I’d roll my eyes and try to get something better out of them…like maybe they loved my hugs, my ability to listen to every single problem they had, my skills as “momma bear,” or the talent for knowing exactly where everything they misplaced was…maybe even my extreme love and devotion…but no, they went with cookies!

When they were wee little tykes, I admit, I made cookies quite often but I’ll be totally honest…it was more about me wanting to eat the dough in my stay-at-home-mom-of-three-kids postpartum craziness than anything else!

As they got a little older, and I enjoyed my freedom while they attended school, I would often whip up a batch for their arrival home at the end of the day especially if I knew there was something big going on like a presentation they were worried about…or an argument with a friend.

However, this last several years, the cookie baking has been a little more sporadic.

Yesterday, amid a million and one things…I thought I’d whip up a batch and the smiles on their faces reminded me of every reason I baked cookies when they were little…complete with them reaching into the bowl to haul out a hunk of dough before I placed it on the pan.

I know my kids adore me…they could list off all the qualities they truly believe I’m made of but bottom line…they also love those gooey chocolate chip cookies that tend to show up, exactly when they need them.

Here’s the recipe in case you’d like to see a couple of brilliant smiles in your kitchen…like the ones I saw in mine.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. Sift together 1 cup (and a bit) of flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Put aside.
3. Disregard Step 2.  I never do that sifting thing. I just end up tossing it all on top of the wet ingredients and it’s never an issue! 
4. Cream together 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
5. This is where I usually decide to double the recipe…so I repeat Step 4 all over again!
6. Beat in 1 egg (2 if you doubled) and 1 tsp of vanilla (again…did you double?)
7. Add the dry ingredients that Step 2 said to sift together…but more or less I put the flour on top of the dough and then sprinkle the salt over the top then sprinkle the baking soda over that and blend it all together and no one has EVER complained about my non-sifting method.
8. Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 if you doubled!)
9. Cook for 10-12 minutes on 350 but take out when they’re still rather pale and don’t look entirely cooked because they’ll finish up cooking from the heat of the pan and taste absolutely amazing! Almost as good as the raw dough!