Cookies for the Cousins

One thing fun about Facebook is the ability to get in touch, and keep in touch, with family members outside our area. Yesterday I posted on FB that I was baking cookies and three of B's cousins replied to the post (as well as a couple of good friends!). So... this post is for the Cousins.

Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I've made many different versions over the years. Is there really ONE best recipe? Probably not. Everyone has their own preferences or "requirements"... I like thick and chewy.

This one is pretty tasty, and comes from a book I've had on my shelf for a long time called Best of Country Cookies, published by Taste of Home magazine.

The cookies are USUALLY thick and chewy, but I think came out thin because of the chocolate I added. I had a block of milk chocolate on hand from another baking adventure, so instead of using chips, I chopped up the solid block. It resulted in a lot of "chocolate crumbs" mixed in with the batter, but the cookies still tasted great. Of course, my SISTER wouldn't eat them -- she is not a milk chocolate fan -- but for everyone else, yum yum.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Page 27

1 cup butter or margarine, softened [what is margarine? ;-)]
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and pudding mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (dough will be stiff). Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 9-1/2 dozen. Note: one 3.9 ounce package of instant chocolate pudding mix may be substituted for the vanilla pudding mix.

I used a #24 ice cream scoop, and the batch yield was 27 cookies.