Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pining for some comfort food this week, I returned to a long loved recipe of mine. Nothing says comfort like warm, oozy chocolate nestled in a crisp, buttery cookie. I tend to blend my chocolate, half bittersweet (60%) and half semi-sweet. I like the Ghirardelli brand. I feel that they offer a good, even chocolate. For a refreshing holiday cookie, I add ½ c. Andes peppermint chips to the batter. This time, I also threw in some walnuts, because they're good for your HDL cholesterol, of course; no other reason.

This dough freezes beautifully. Just scoop by tablespoons onto some wax paper and freeze about 20 min. You can then place them into a freezer bag and, ta-dah, easier and tastier than break-and-bake store bought cookies. Very convenient for unexpected guests; nothing says home like the wafting fragrance of baking cookies. You can bake them straight from frozen, just add 2-3 min, depending on your oven, to the cooking time.

On a tangent, for the longest time I didn't have a cookie scoop. I felt like this was a wasted expense and my tbsp measuring spoon and a trusted dinner spoon were more than adequate. And they were, for years. I happened to be in one of my browsing/buying moods recently at a local kitchen store and decided what the heck. When I got home, opened my shopping bag and pulled out my brand new $8 cookie scoop, I felt, well, embarrassed. It looked like a mini ice cream scooper. What on earth was I thinking? I love it though. My hands no longer get covered with gooky batter and my cookies are even more uniform than ever. Think about investing in one if you make a lot of cookies.

Makes 2 dozen

1 c. + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, unsifted
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
¼ c. + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ c. + 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 c. chocolate chips (semi-sweet, bittersweet, milk, or a blend)
½ c. walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and egg.
5. Mix well to incorporate.
6. Gradually add dry mixture into creamed mixture.
7. Stir in chips and nuts, if desired.
8. Drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I bake on waxed paper for easy transfer between batches.)
9. Bake 9-11 min or until cookies begin to turn golden around edges. Let stand 1 min on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack. If using wax paper, simply slide the entire sheet off the baking pan onto the counter.