The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Need

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg, refrigerator-cold
1 egg yolk, refrigerator-cold
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 x 11.5 once bag chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped walnuts – optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and let it cool a bit.  

Put the brown sugar and white sugars into a bowl, pour the slightly cooled, melted butter over them, and beat together. 

Beat in the vanilla, the cold egg, and the cold egg yolk, until your mixture is light and creamy.

Slowly mix in the flour and baking soda until just blended, then fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into a quarter-cup measure or a 1/4 cup round ice-cream scoop and drop on the the prepared cookie sheet, plopping the cookies down about 3 inches apart.  

You will need to make these in 2 -3 batch, depending on the size of your baking sheet.

Keep the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches.

Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned/toasted.

Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Some thoughts to share:
Store cookies in airtight container, they will keep for 5 days.

If you like smaller sized cookies, then by all means make them smaller…these cookies are large in size for holiday gift giving.

INDULGE!

Molasses Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/4 cup Crisco, yes Crisco
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark Molasses
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
extra sugar for covering the dough balls

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together butter, shortening and sugar (don’t over mix).

Add egg and molasses.  

Mix in all dry ingredients.

Chill 1/2 hour or more.  

Roll into 2 inch balls, and then roll the dough balls in sugar to cover entire dough ball.

Place on baking sheet that is covered with parchment paper.  

Bake for about 12 minutes.  

Remove from oven, let stand for a minute, and place on cooling rack.

*Half way through baking, remove tray from oven and tap bottom of tray on counter.  That gives the cookies the crinkly texture on top.  You may need to do it again, at the end of baking.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup whole raw almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened – room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Garnish:  extra confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until fragrant, tossing nuts halfway through baking time.

Remove from oven and let cool…

Place cooled almonds in food processor and process until finely ground.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almonds, flour and salt.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended.

Add dry mixture and mix until well combined.

Divide dough in half, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Shape roughly one generous tablespoon of dough onto a 3 inch log with tapered ends, then bending into a crescent shape.

Place on prepared sheet, about one inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and dim, rotating baking tray halfway through baking time.

Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 8 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle generously with extra confectioner’s sugar.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Store cookies in airtight container.

Yum!