The perfect chocolate chip cookie base

   Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, don't pretend like you don't.  I mean you may not like the plain old chip, but I bet you like one of the million variations.  Like triple chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, or as we are going to do today, Reese's pieces chocolate chunk.

  As with everything I like things to be easy.  So when I first had these cookies I was all, that is awesome, so good I want more.  And then I had more, and thought, okay they are good.  Because they were good, but they were just the same old same old.  So I decided to change that.  And I want to share it with you.

  I got this recipe from my mom ,who got it from a cousin who got it from a cook book somewhere.  I think it may even be the one on the back of the chocolate chip bag.  Then again I could be wrong.  All I know is it is good, and easy, and the perfect base for any type of chocolate chip type cookie.

  These are the perfect cookies to make with kids too.  I made these with different chips last week with my son, the whole time he kept saying "I really like making cookies."  Which made me feel like a bad mom because usually when I bake I need to do it fast and he cannot help.  But this past time he measured out everything himself and we did not have to wash his hands at all. 

  You know how it goes with kids, wash their hands then get to work.  Two minutes later they are scratching their nose or something, so wash again and try again.  Well this time, he used his shoulder to rub his ear and no extra hand washing needed.  He is learning.  He also told me that when he bakes with Grandma she lets him eat flour.  He said it smells so good, but I said fat chance and he was mad.  Then I told my mom and she was all "I did not!"  I know mom, I know, he is just a fibber.  Anyway great cookie to make with kids.

  I am making these today to thank my awesome mechanic and his staff.  They have been the best since we found them about 9 years ago, and I owe them huge for my stupid hitting a pylon and needing a tow incident last week.  Also since I know the folks at work would like these I am making two batches.


  You don't need anything fancy just the stuff you have at home.  ( although I needed to go get brown sugar, since I had run out, that has never happened before)

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Base

pre heat your oven to 375, or 350 if you use a convection oven *

you will need

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
4 1/4 cups flour sifted**
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat your butter and sugars until mixed
Add your vanilla and eggs until incorporated
Add your sifted flour, baking soda and salt

* I have read and have found that when using a convection oven you can turn the temp down 25 degrees as this makes for more even baking

My huge flour sifter, gets all the dry ingredients mixed.

**I always sift my flour, not to get air into it or anything, but when I have other ingredients I like to mix them into the sifter to make sure they are all incorporated evenly and also to make sure anything foreign is found.  ( don't ask what, but in culinary school we had huge bins of flour, and you would not believe the nasty things you found when sifting it.)

the perfect cookie base

  So once this is all done, you will be left with the perfect cookie base.  Now I like lots of stuff in my cookies, so I say to add 2-2 1/2 cups of whatever it is you like.  For today I used Reese's pieces and milk chocolate chunks.  I got both at the local bulk store.

  I also mix in my chunks and stuff by hand as I find the mixer ( I use a kitchen aid) can break up the chunks.  I use my dough mixer, and it works wonderfully.

Ready to mix by hand.

 Once the dough is ready scoop it out with either a spoon or a small ice cream scoop and place the balls on a parchment lined tray.  You do not really need the parchment, but it helps them not to spread too much and makes clean up so much easier.  I bake them for about 6-7 minutes, you want them to just get a little colour.  I like my cookies chewy so I let them set on the tray for about a minute before moving them to a rack to cool.  If you leave them on the tray longer they will continue to cook a bit.

Scooped out and ready to bake.

  This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen depending on how much stuff you add to it.  We have also used a regular cookie scoop to make jumbo cookies, bake for about 10-12 minutes.  I found they were too big for me, I get sick when I eat too much sugar, so the small ones are perfect.

  Now if you want to get super fancy, which I won't because I am tired, you could dip the cookies half in chocolate or drizzle some on.  But just as they are they are amazing.

As a gift for the car guys!

itty bitty sugar cookies.  I just fill it up, put a ribbon on it and it is ready to give.  It is air tight so it helps to keep the cookies fresh.

This is a Wilton cupcake box, I got it at the warehouse sale for less than 25 cents.

  You can also scoop out and freeze the cookie dough and take out and bake as you want.  So if you only want a few, make the whole batch then freeze it.  Really good for portion control, which I know nothing about.  But  I have heard it is a good thing, so you try it.

  Also a little note on my baking.  I usually make multiple batches of things.  Like these cookies I made two batches.  I learned in culinary school that due to the chemical things that happen when baking ( and yes I know how stupid that sounds, but I learned to cook and eat, not be a scientist) that when multiplying recipe is there is actually a bakers equation.  I found this on google, but yeah it is a lot of stuff to read.  Basically it means that when you multiply ingredients the chemical reactions that we need, like leavening and such, will not work the same.  So when you multiply that perfect cake batter it may not rise the same. 

  The other reason I only do one batch at a time is that my mixer is just the home size, so I have to work with what I got.  If you have a bigger mixer you may try to figure out the equation and if you do, please come explain it to me again.  Then I could pretend to know what I was talking about.