Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are the easiest to bake for starters. Fail or success you can still eat and enjoy them. One tip in baking cookies though ... keep the kids inside their playroom or you will end up with disappearing cookies even before the second batch is baked LOL!

This cookie recipe is not the crispy type like Chips Ahoy. This one is soft-with-a-chew.

INGREDIENTS:

(** always when measuring dry ingredients, spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and level the top)

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter (1 bar butter is 1 cup, take out from the fridge for around 10minutes before using then cut then into smaller cubes)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (push it down to your cup first then level)

• 2 large eggs, can be cold from refrigerator
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (actually optional, I don't use vanilla)
• 2 cups (one 11.5 or 12-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips (you can use less if you want)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional (chop, then measure but optional if your kids don't like nuts in their cookies. You can also use other nuts like peanuts, almond, or cashew, just not coconut)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees Celsius. (Preheat: light your oven at least 10minutes before starting to bake.)

Bake cookies one sheet at a time for best result.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat the butter on low speed until just softened. Add the sugars and cream on low until JUST combined. Do not beat until light and fluffy. Meaning, don't be tempted to overmix it.

4. With the mixer still on low, add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low until JUST combined. Do not beat until fluffy and light in color.

5. Add the flour mixture and fold in with a large rubber spatula. Meaning, add it by hand, don't use the mixer anymore. You should have a few traces of flour showing.

Add in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Fold until just combined. Do NOT overmix.

The dough will be stiff so expect to work out your arm a bit while doing this.

6. Roll one tablespoon of the dough into a ball for each cookie, and place the balls about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. I use an ice cream scoop, it's a lot easier.

7. Bake for 7 to 11 minutes (about 5 minutes for smaller cookies) until they are JUST SET and start to show a tiny amount of light brown color on the edges. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the sheet to wire racks to cool completely (which I doubt anyway).Makes about 45 cookies. Enjoy!