my grandmother's chocolate chip cookies
Total time: about 30 minutes
These are very tasty.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 packages (total of 18 oz.) semi-sweet Nestle chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped English walnuts
1. Allow butter to warm to room temperature.
2. Put flour in medium bowl, then sprinkle with baking soda and salt. Use electric mixer to combine dry ingredients so they are thoroughly mixed and baking soda and salt are evenly distributed throughout.
3. After butter is warmed to room temperature, use large bowl to combine butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Use electric mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
4. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture. Use electric mixer to combine until smooth and well-blended.
5. Add the mixed dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture. Use electric mixer to combine until smooth and well-blended.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Add chocolate chips and chopped nuts to the mixture and mix by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not use an electric mixer at this point as it would break up the chocolate and nuts. (Dough may be refrigerated or frozen. Thaw before baking. Bakes best near room temperature).
8. Drop dough from a tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet, maintaining minimum 2" spacing. Push dough off spoon and flatten slightly. Bake at 375 until done. Her original recipe says 8-10 minutes, but my experience is that 11-12 in a convection oven is more realistic. Cookies should be golden brown at the edges and tan in the middle.
9. Remove cookies when done and place on a wire rack. Cool or eat them. Do not stack cookies until thoroughly cooled.
My grandmother kept cookies in a container with a slice of bread to keep them
from drying out - assuming there were any left. I like to bake only the amount
that will be eaten, keeping the dough refrigerated (and well protected by wrapping
the dough ball in plastic wrap and then in a ziplock bag) and baking the cookies
fresh as needed.