Chocolate Chip Cookies (SOFT)

 

Makes 4 dozen (48) BIG Cookies.  Prep Time:  15 minutes.  Cook Time:  11 minutes.

 

 

4 ˝ Cups All-Purpose Flour (Pillsbury or Gold Medal – measured by “dip & sweep”)

2 teasp. Baking Soda (Must be fresh – not past expiration date)

 

2 Cups Melted Butter (4 sticks, unsalted)

1 ˝ Cups Brown Sugar (Packed)

˝ Cup Granulated Sugar (White)

1 Package Jello’s Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (3.4 oz.)

4 Eggs

3 teasp. Vanilla Extract

4 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips (two 12 oz. bags)

5 Crushed Heath Bars (optional)

 

 

Directions:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the warm melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until completely blended.  Blend in the instant pudding, eggs and vanilla.  Blend in the flour mixture.  Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and Heath Bar pieces.  Refrigerate dough mixture until cool.

 

  1. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls (or, use 1 ˝ inch dia. ice-cream scooper) onto a room temperature nongreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven.  Remove when the edges begin to change color to a very light golden brown.

 

 

Observations:  The recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House Morsels bag makes fine cookies, and if you were to follow it precisely, you couldn’t go too far wrong.  However, based upon my own experiences, and that of others, I advise a few minor modifications and refinements.

 

FIRST, always use real butter (unsalted). There is a big difference between butter vs. margarine.

 

SECOND, double or triple the amount of vanilla extract.

 

THIRD, and this can make a big difference, don’t just let the butter sit out at room temperature to become soft.  Instead, melt it.  Melted butter, because it is both warm and liquid, does a much better job of dissolving sugar than a room-temperature creamed butter can do.  This helps improve the consistency of the dough and also improves the texture of the cookies after they are baked.  Very carefully, melt the butter so that it does not burn.  Consider using the microwave, but watch it like a hawk!

 

FOURTH, make sure your cookie dough is cold when you place it onto the room temperature or cooler cookie sheets.  If the dough melts around the edges before it starts to bake, the edges might burn or get too brown.

 

JPC  -  revised 8/14/05