THE Chocolate Chip Cookies

**PICTURES UPDATED JULY 2021**

These are THE Chocolate Chip Cookies that you need in your life. Seriously, these cookies are the ones I have been making for years and the ones that people freak out about. Preschool teachers and staff have been known to sneak, steal, hoard, and screech about them. They are a simple, classic, thick, fudgy, and delectable cookie, one that you need in your back pocket for any occasion. I am a firm believer that sometimes you need the real McCoy, and if you don't have any allergies or sensitivities, go for it! OMG, did y'all see Jack McCoy do a guest appearance on Law and Order SVU last week??

These are perfect to make with your kids too, just have everything measured out beforehand if you want to keep the chaos to a relative minimum, if you love that chaos, go for it! It is fun either way!

I would suggest making a double batch sometimes to have these little dough balls of joy lurking in your freezer for anytime a cookie craving or random person arrives at your door. I honestly bring a batch of these frozen to every new mama, when you have a flood of visitors to see your little precious baby, it is nice to have something to give them with minimal effort!

THE Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 20

Inspired by Everyday Annie

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup regular chocolate chips or mini M&Ms

- Preheat the oven to 350

- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in a bowl and set aside.

- Combine all the sugars and the melted and cooled butter in a large mixing bowl, stand mixer is perfect for this. Mix at a medium speed for a few minutes, until "fluffy".

- Mix at low speed and add the eggs one at a time, waiting to add until all combined. Then add in the vanilla extract.

- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Add the chips and/or the M&Ms, just until mixed throughout.

- Using a cookie scoop, I used a 1.5" scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silicon mat lined cookie sheet. Make sure to leave space in between, only 12 to a sheet at a time, to allow for growth.

- Bake them for 15-17 minutes. Let cool on pan for a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack or take some warm cookie bites!

***You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls on the cookie sheet for a couple hours, then transfer them to a freezer bag. They will bake the same exact way with maybe a minute or two longer in the oven.***

Here is almost everything you need to get prepped to make the cookies, "mise en place", as Fancy Nancy would say. Dry ingredients in a bowl, mixed with a fork or a mini whisk. Three types of sugar chillin' in a mixing bowl, getting friendly. Melted, unsalted butter that has sat around while you prep all the other items. And of course, the chocolate chips and/or M&Ms, I did a mix of both for this batch so we have all the choices.

Mixing paddle attached and the sugar is bathing in that buttah!

Here is what it looks like after a couple minutes on medium speed, what would be termed, fluffy. I always am confused by recipes that say beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, so this is what it should look like!

You will add the egg yolks to a low speed mixer, one at a time, make sure to wait for each yolk to be completely mixed between. Then add your 1 tablespoon vanilla extract while the mixer is on until everything is combined.

Now you slowly add the dry ingredients, slowly, on low speed. If you are using a hand mixer, place 1/3 of the dry at a time to the bowl, so you don't over mix and have a flour explosion all over your kitchen.

This is what your dough will look like before you add the mix ins. 

The mix ins is the super fun part for kiddos, have your cute kid add one of the mix ins at a time while one of your cats stalks you from

the background... 

I separated the dough with the mini chips into two bowls: one bowl for the mini M&Ms and one for the regular sized chips. Then I mixed each bowl with a spatula. And then you try your hardest to not just dive into the bowl of cookie dough and go-to-town. Forget about the dangers, you know you want it! I remember my best friend growing up would sell cookie dough for some fundraiser and we would sneak into her garage fridge with spoons in hand and devour copious amounts of dough, it is a wonder we didn't get sick!

Scoop the cookies out and place them on a parchment or silicone mat lined cookie sheet. Also, I love my daughter's expression here, she is doing exactly what I feel inside, "Are the cookies ready yet?"

From this point, you can stick that cookie sheet into the freezer and freeze for a few hours or overnight. Then place them in a freezer bag and leave that for cookie emergencies!

And finally the stream of delicious cookie photos and the final picture of your "little one" stealing one last cookie! Go make them and you won't be sorry!!!