The "Cure-All" Cookie

No cookie blog could possibly start without first mentioning the "Queen" of all cookies.  The first thing that springs to mind when the word "cookie" is mentioned.  If you ask a child to draw a picture of a cookie it is most likely to resemble.....The Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Oh yes!  And hot out of the oven is best.  But this seems to be true for any baked dessert.  But unfortunately we are living in the age of "break-n-bake" cookies.  I have to admit I am guilty of using them.  They aren't too bad, in a desperate situation. But if that is all you have used lately, I strongly encourage you to get ou your mixer and scratch up a fresh batch.  You'll never go back to "break-n-bake" again.

Did you know this wonderful cookie was created by accident?  By a woman named Ruth Graves Wakefield who owned The Toll House Inn in 1930.  She was trying to make chocolate cookies and ran out of regular bakers chocolate so she used broken up pieces of Nestle chocolates instead.  Someone sent some of the cookies to WWII soldiers who went nuts for them and were writing home asking for more cookies.  Ha, I don't blame them a bit. 

There are a bazillion different variations of the chocolate chip cookie and I have tried quite a bit of them.  One thing I know for sure, DON'T you DARE put nuts in my chocolate chip cookie!  Nuts are for breads and muffins, not cookies.  There are a few exceptions but not many.  I have recently narrowed it down to two favorites.  I have made one particular recipe quite a few times over the past several weeks and I will share the recipe with you now.  This is not an original recipe mind you.  I'm sure its been passed around and flown around the internet a few times.  But they are super soft and yummy.  And they stay that way.  No dry, crunchy cookies with your coffee the next morning.  If you can make them last that long.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie (In my opinion)

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups of chocolate chip cookies (more or less if you like.  Some peanut butter chips thrown in there are good too.)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl and set aside.  Mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla with mixer until smooth.  Mix in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet a couple of inches apart.  Bake about 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack until they won't burn your mouth and then pig out.  Enjoy!!