M's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies were the first homemade cookie Betty Crapper attempted many decades ago. Over the years, I experimented with many recipes. Some recipes yielded thick, chewy cookies. Other recipes yielded thin, crispy discs. The worst offenders were so dry and dense they could have been used as hockey pucks. 

Yesterday, my favorite recipe yielded chewy cookies full of chocolate and pecans. They were exquisite both alone and crumbled in a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream. 

The chocolate chip cookie recipe I love was adapted from the back of a bag of Ghirardelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips. I made a few changes (less white sugar, added dark brown sugar, mixed bittersweet and semi-sweet chips) with excellent results.

You will need all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, semi-sweet chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.

Cream butter and sugars. Betty Crapper loves tasting as she makes cookie dough. Don't you?

Add vanilla and an egg. Mix on low speed just until combined. Add another egg and mix on low until combined.

Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low.

Add your chips and chopped nuts. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Betty Crapper's old KitchenAid stand mixer almost died mixing this. The heavy dough gave my workhorse some trouble.

Betty Crapper indulges in raw cookie dough. I know I'm not alone.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto your cookie sheets.

Bake

Cool on rack.

M's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Set aside. In another bowl cream butter with sugars, on medium speed, until creamy. Add vanilla and one egg. Beat on low just until incorporated. Add the other egg and beat on low until just incorporated. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing on low to combine. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Mix to combine. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets about three minutes before removing. Cool on wire racks.

Tips (Lessons Learned the Hard Way)

• Frequently scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl.
• Place your cookie dough on cool baking sheets.
• Bake one sheet at a time in the center of your oven. Now is not the time to be in a hurry.
• Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from baking sheets.
• Do not stack hot cookies or they will stick to each other.

I like to eat my chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream. It reminds me of dessert at my favorite vacation destination.

How do you eat your chocolate chip cookies? Betty Crapper wants to know.