Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies. The possibilities are endless. But I'm a fickle girl when it comes to this delicious treat. Give me a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie (and a cold glass of milk) and I can eat a dozen. But give me a cookie that's hard, crunchy and flat, and I won't eat two bites.

As a frequent cookie-baker, I have a good-sized assortment of recipes at my disposal, but let me introduce you to my favorite cookie recipe. These chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy, and they plump up perfectly every time. But every batch turns out a little differently because it's so easy to vary the add-ins. In the above photo, I added blanched, roasted almonds (chopped) that I had previously used in almond biscotti's. But get creative with this one - chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, mint chips, white chocolate, Reese's, macadamia nuts, walnuts, almonds...the list is endless. And the secret to this recipe? Jell-O pudding mix. Yes, that's right. Pudding mix. It's that "extra-special-something" that gives these cookies their plump. And if you vary the flavors, you have yet another way to play around with this recipe every time. 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (3.5 oz) package Jell-O instant pudding mix (I like Vanilla or Butterscotch)

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips (I like the Mini's from Nestle Tollhouse)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and pudding mix. Beat until the mixture is creamy, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the eggs and cream again, about 1-2 minutes.

5. Mix in the chocolate chips (or whatever else you decide to use).

6. Mix in the flour mixture, adding one third of the mixture and fully combining for adding the next third.

7. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (trust me - this is a great investment if you like to bake). Take one teaspoon-worth of dough, roll it in your palm to form a ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat and place about one inch apart.
8. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.