Chocolate Chip Cookies

You might think this is just another recipe for a basic chocolate chip cookie, but you would be wrong. These cookies are how Mike and I survived living four hundred miles apart for two long years. Every time I missed having him nearby, which was often, I would attempt to cure my loneliness by baking up a batch of these cookies, wrapping them up tightly with a love note and a kiss, and mailing them off to New York City. There were weeks he received three batches of these cookies.

Luckily, he never grew tired of receiving those little care packages and we are now lucky enough to see each other each morning and kiss each other every night - perhaps a simple thing, but something I never take for granted.

This is still my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies and they are especially sweet all packaged up for Valentine’s Day. Aren’t these treat bags the cutest?! They are courtesy of Serena from The Farm Chicks and they are just perfect to dress-up this special cookie recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

active time 5 minutes

total time 30 minutes

makes about 18 cookies

This is my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe - you can taste the love mixed right in with the brown sugar and bits of chocolate. Adjust the size of the cookie by increasing or decreasing the amount of dough you scoop onto the baking sheet, just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly!

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or SilPat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add egg and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking soda; add to wet ingredients, mixing until dough just comes together. Remove bowl from mixer and fold chocolate chips into dough.

Using a medium-sized cookie scoop [Note: I used a OXO #40 scoop, which holds 1½ tablespoons], place cookies about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 14 to 16 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.