Cooking Utensils Needed:
- 2 Mixing bowls (1 Medium, 1 Small)
- Handheld Mixer or Kitchen Aid
- Wooden Spoon
- 2 Cookie Sheets/Pans
- 2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup (2 Sticks) butter, Softened*
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Packed** Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large*** Eggs
- 2 Cups (12 oz.package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
- 1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)
*Softened- meaning to bring the butter naturally to room temp. Suggested wait time is 4 hours. It is highly suggested that you do not try and soften it any other way because then it will melt!
**Packed- All this means is firmly pressing down on the sugar until it fills to the line.
***Large Eggs- Make sure when you buy your eggs that they say Large Eggs on the front! There are indeed, different sized eggs. The recipes contained in this blog are all tested with Large Eggs!
Time To Start:
Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees!
Combine FLOUR, BAKING SODA, and SALT in small bowl. (Make sure that when you're measuring loose particles like flour, baking soda, and salt that you run the top edge of a butter knife on top of the measuring cup so that you have no overflow! You want the ingredient inside the measuring cup to match exactly.)
Combine BUTTER (both sticks should be very soft and squishy to the touch), SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR (Remember to pack it down! Pour some in like regular sugar but then take your knuckles and press it down, it's going to be damp and stick to you like sand. Continue to pour and press until you've got it packed all the way to the top.), and VANILLA EXTRACT in MEDIUM SIZED BOWL.
Beat**** the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until it's creamy. (While I'm mixing things, I make sure the wooden spoon is nearby so that I can scrape any of the extra dough that gathers towards the top of the bowl and plop it back in the middle of the mixture.)
****Beat- meaning to use the handheld mixer or kitchen aid. If you do not have either of these, I believe that you have to resort to a whisk. If you do not have that, then I hope you have a strong arm and a wooden spoon!
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (I mix for a good minute to a minute and a half after each egg. That might be overkill but my cookies come out fantastic!)
Stir in morsels and nuts*****. (Wooden spoon.)
*****Unless I'm making for people who I know aren't allergic to nuts, I tend to omit them and just use the morsels. Plus, I know quite a few people who just don't like nuts. I've made the cookies with and without nuts and I've been highly complimented, regardless.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. (I use parchment paper, makes for an easier clean up! Also, instead of a 'rounded tablespoon' I use the wooden spoon and my fingers. I tend to wash my hands a lot through the process so I always know that they are clean. Have to in a house with a dog and two cats!)
I tend to put 12 cookies to a baking sheet.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. (Always check whatever it is that you're baking/cooking (unless you know you're oven and have cooked the dish a zillion times before) at the earliest time that it says! If they aren't ready then no harm, no fowl. You just have to wait a bit longer, but at least they aren't burned! Unless you like your cookies burned. I know people who do . . . anywho! Not the point!Just make sure to check on your baking goodies. :D)
Cool on baking sheets for two minutes then remove to wire racks to finish the cooling process. (I just put the baking sheets on top of my dogs crate. I don't have any wire racks yet! *sad face*)
Now! . . . your cookies should be delicious and ready to eat! Like these!
Happy Snacking!