Practically Perfect Cookies

When I need a warm dessert in a hurry, these are my go-to cookies. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand except the chocolate chips, so plan ahead. I've subbed in mini-chocolate chips, mini-M&Ms, dried cranberries and pecans, chocolate chunks, but the best cookie by far uses everybody's good old standby, Nestle Tollhouse Semi-sweet Morsels.

I usually make a half recipe, but the full one is great for a platter of treats to take to a party. I made the full recipe for a Super Bowl Party this year and they were gone in under 45 minutes.

the fixins

• 2 ¼ C flour (I mix 1 C of whole wheat pastry flour in with unbleached white)

• 1 level tsp. baking soda

• 1 level tsp. salt

• ¾ C white sugar

• ¾ C light or dark brown sugar, packed

• 2 sticks butter, softened

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp. good vanilla
  

• 1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

the directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the two sugars together. Using a mixer, cream sugars with the softened butter until pale, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beaten eggs and beat until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet gradually—I like to mix by hand with just a spatula until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Drop the dough one teaspoonful at a time on an ungreased cookie sheet an inch or two apart.

Bake 9-11 minutes until cookies are brown at the edges. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Eat warm—with milk!