Perfect chewy chocolate chip cookies

Ever wish your mom could have baked chewy chocolate chip cookies like Pillsbury or Felix & Norton, all warm, gooey cookies that didn’t become hard after 2 minutes and didn’t look like a macaroon instead of the perfect flat chewy cookie that you were dreaming of? Well here it is, the perfect recipe, tried and tested a few times, it comes out great every time, and even better, can be made parve and still taste amazing!

You’ll need:

(Makes about 3 dozen)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) kosher unsalted butter, room temperature or Crisco (Crisco now makes butter flavored shortening that is parve it used to be dairy)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

You can also switch it up and add some rolled oats for more texture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

*You can also, prepare the batter without the chocolate chips, then divide the dough in 4 or 5 and in each batch add the flavors that you like. For example one batch can have a mix of white, milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Another can have white chocolate chunks with grated lemon zest and another can have butterscotch, nuts and raisins or caramel chips.