My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

What is it that makes a GREAT chocolate chip cookie? Do you like them soft or crunchy? Is it best when it first comes out of the oven when it is still slightly gooey and warm? Or do you prefer it crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle? Do you pick the cookie with the most visible chocolate chips like my husband does? Do you like yours slightly undercooked? 

Growing up the only chocolate chip cookies that I would eat were the ones that were within the first half hour of coming out of the oven. Store bought? No thanks, not for me. I grew up on the cookies made with the recipe on the back of a Nestle Toll house bag of chocolate chips. I THOUGHT the best chocolate chip cookies were crunchy but slightly soft and gooey in the center... And than I met my husband.

When Sione and I were dating I notice that he would always buy chocolate chip cookies from Subway and he'd put them in the microwave for a few seconds before eating them. When I asked why, he claimed that soft warm chocolate chip cookies were waaay better then crunchy. So a little after we were married I decided I would try and make him some cookies that he would like. That's when I discovered this recipe from allrecipes. It is perfect just the way it is. In fact after eating them I became converted to soft chocolate chip cookies!

The best thing about this recipe is the fact that even though they are soft they are not crumbly at all. They even taste great a day or two after baking (although they rarely last that long in our house). I am always getting requests for this recipe and have been asked to make these cookies for all sorts of occasions. So as requested, I have finally gotten around to posting the recipe on here. 

The dough can also be refrigerated or freezed so you can mix it ahead of time and make yourself a fresh cookie whenever you feel like it. We love making giant cookies and eating it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for dessert every once in a while! Okay enough of that, here's the recipe:

My Favorite The BEST Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

*makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Sift together flour and baking soda and set aside

3) Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix, vanilla, and eggs.

4) Stir in chocolate chips.

5)Drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be  golden brown.

6) Move to foil or cooling rack to cool.

Now go ahead and make these and find out for yourself if  they really are the BEST chocolate chip cookies EVER!

P.S. These cookies are so good that my step-sister who doesn't like chocolate (I know, how is that possible right) will make these without the chocolate chips  and people still love them!