Everyone needs a fail-proof recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  Sure, you can buy cookies at the store…I guess, but really?  Which would you rather have: warm cookies fresh-baked from your oven, or cookies in a plastic container from the store?  Even if your store has REALLY good cookies, I think the choice is pretty obvious.

Whether it’s small children, co-workers, or your sweetheart, the true way to anyone’s heart is with a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies.  The daughter of one of my co-workers turned eight the other day, and I made her a batch of these delicious cookies.  When you look at the recipe, you  might wonder why I made 2 dozen cookies for an eight-year old.  The answer is simple: I know my co-workers.  About a dozen of those cookies actually made it home for her while and the rest were stolen by her father, our principal, me (guilty!), and a few other teachers.  According to my co-teacher, the cookies were “good as s***!”  I’ll take that praise.

Ingredients (makes 2 dozen cookies):

1 cup butter, softened (that’s 2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or, you know, the whole bag…whatever)

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Use a wooden spoon or a hand mixer to cream together the butter and both sugars until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to the batter along with salt.  Stir in flour and chocolate chips.
  3. Drop large spoonfuls of the dough onto ungreased pans.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.