Mom's Famous Cookies

Who doesn't love homemade chocolate chip cookies? There is something very comforting about warm chocolate chip cookies and glass of cold milk. In the past, whenever my family would crave cookies, which was quite often, I would always use store bought refrigerated cookie dough. I admit it was pretty good, but I really hate not knowing what is in the food we eat, so every once in awhile I would make chocolate chip cookies from scratch. They were never as good as the store bought cookies.

When we moved to a new neighborhood a couple of years ago, my neighbor brought us the most delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies I had ever eaten. They were so gooey and soft. When I complimented her cookies, she modestly explained that she simply tweaked the cookie recipe printed on the bag of chocolate chips. As much as I fished for the recipe, she would not share. She did eventually give me the recipe when we moved, but I am sworn to secrecy and can't share it with you. 

After trying her delicious cookies, I really wished I had a good cookie recipe. I came across a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in Southern Living magazine, and knowing that SL recipes do not disappoint, I decided to give it a try. They were really good! They were just as good, almost as good as my neighbor's cookies! Everyone that tried them loved them. So I started baking all my cookies from scratch. One day my son Collin, asked me to make my famous cookies, and that's how the cookies become known as Mom's Famous Cookies.

Here are a few tips to ensure your cookies are as good as Mom's.

• 
  
  Use an oven thermometer. Since all ovens cook differently, an oven thermometer will let you know when your oven is at the right temperature for baking.
• 
  
  Make sure your cookies are all the same size. I use the medium scoop (2 T.) from Pampered Chef.
• 
  
  Bake cookies until they no longer look wet on top. They may not appear to be done but will cook a little more after removing from the oven.
• 
  
  Bake cookies on an aluminum baking sheet or stoneware. If you use a dark baking sheet, the cookies will tend to burn. 
• 
  
  Let cookies sit for 2 minutes after removing from the oven, and then move to a cooling rack to cool.
• 
  
  Cookie dough can be frozen. Form dough into balls and let freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, balls can be put into a freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw completely and bake as directed. If baking frozen dough, add approximately two minutes to the baking time.

All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep: 30 min., Bake: 14 min. per batch, Cool: 15 min. Bake 10 minutes for a soft and chewy cookie or up to 14 minutes for a crisp cookie.

Yield: Makes about 5 dozen

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 (12-oz.) packages semisweet chocolate morsels

• Parchment paper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, beating until blended.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Beat in morsels just until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 14 minutes (I bake them 12 minutes) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).