How do you find your groove in an unfamiliar kitchen? Even with most boxes unpacked, it is hard to get into cooking when you move into a new place or visit somewhere. But there is one sure way to know that where we are is home: bake chocolate chip cookies.
Every family has its own recipe. Here is mine. It is adapted from the back of a generic bag of chocolate chips from my college days. It amazes me that the discount brand of chocolate chips was the most successful at discovering the best combination of fat, sugar, and chocolate. And yet, it is this recipe that is truly delicious.
I have made this recipe on many occasions: when I spent a summer in Bolivia during my college years, when my family moved to Australia, when we bought our first home, any time I crave them. It never fails to make where we are a familiar and friendly place. I think the recipe is truly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there.
Have you heard the chocolate chip cookie song? Sing it as you dip your cookies in milk and eat them up!
Here is how I sang it as a kid:
When I die, I don’t want wings,
a golden halo, or a harp that sings!
Give me a book, a fire, and someone who brings
me chocolate chip cookies all day.Chocolate Chip cookies! I’ve gotta have more!
You can bake them in an oven, or buy them at the store.
But whatever you do, keep them coming to my door!
Chocolate chip cookies all day.
I found a YouTube recording of this song so you can hear the tune.
Tips for Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies
My son and I use our Kitchen Aid mixer to put all the ingredients together. We also use a 1-inch portion scoop to put the cookies on the baking sheet. This keeps the cookies all a consistent size. They are smaller than using a rounded tablespoon, and so we make 60-70 small cookies. I love the small cookies. The edges are slightly crunchy and the inside is still soft on that first night. Besides, with small cookies, I don’t feel guilty about taking more than one!
(After my last batch my husband asked why I stopped making them the larger size because they tasted better. Oh dear. Well, I can’t keep everyone happy!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the perfect combination of sugar, fat, and chocolate!
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar (white)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tsp vanilla (extract)
- 1 each egg
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cup chocolate chips ((estimate and add what you want!))
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Then, add vanilla and egg. Beat well.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the creamed mixture, one cup at a time.
- Add chocolate chips. Mix well.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2″ apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 10-15 minutes at 375 F (190 C). Cool slightly on a cooling rack before eating.
I like to use a 1-inch portion scoop to get consistent 2-inch cookies. With a 1-inch scoop, I usually get 60-70 smaller cookies.
