The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

In this month's issue of the Food Network magazine (my favorite food-related magazine), there were several recipes for chocolate chip cookies.  There were different recipes depending on how you like the texture of your cookies (e.g., crispy, cakey, chewy, etc).  I like chewy cookies, so I decided to try that recipe.  To be honest, I didn't think they were going to be that good.  Until now, I swore that store bought cookie dough is better than home-made.  This is my favorite store bought cookie dough:

Everything is measured so precisely, why mess up a good thing?  I still stand by my opinion that store bought cake mix makes better cakes then homemade.  Maybe it's just that I'm not a very good baker.

In any case, I decided to give this cookie recipe a try and it would be a good reason to try out my stand mixer, which I haven't used since I got it for Christmas.

There She Blows!!!

 I stand corrected about my previous theory regarding cookies...these homemade cookies were probably the best chocolate chip cookies I've had in my life!  Mark loved them too!  I made the batter as directed here, but I froze about half the dough in a ziploc bag. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl.

2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes (use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer).  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.  Reduce the mixer speed to low.  Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.  Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Drop heaping  tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, about 12 minutes.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely