So last night, after watching the hilarious “Bad Santa” for the first time with my fiancé, I set out on my internet search for a new and improved choco chip cookie recipe. I found many similar recipes, but with no new ingredients that really made me think, “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?!”. I also found a lot of recipes that called for nutmeg. Really? Nutmeg? This makes me think people are just adding ingredients all willy nilly.
Then, while on a baking forum [forgive me now because I don’t recall which one], I found it. It’s the exact same recipe I use, courtesy of Nestlé Toll House, but with one added ingredient: 1 box of dry Vanilla Pudding mix. Duh! Ok, seriously, why didn't I think of that? You can add it to cake mix to make super moist cuppiecakes, so why not choco chip cookies? I am so excited to try this recipe. I stopped by Target on my way to work to pick up the necessary ingredients that I didn’t already have in my “emergency baking back stock”. One box of pudding mix [$0.84] & two 12oz. bags of Nestlé Toll House choco chips [$2.69 per bag]. Side note, how can Target charge less for the chips than the sale price at the grocery store? This makes me wish any of our targets were those super fancy ones with a grocery store.
In case anyone was wondering what the recipe looks like you can find it on the back of any bag of semi sweet choco chips. But, to make things easy on you, I thought I’d post it on here as well. This is not my recipe in the sense that I created it, but it is my favorite, and I’m hoping with the addition of my new not so secret ingredient it will be even better!
Original Nestlé Tool House Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 Tsp. baking soda
1 Tsp. salt
1 c softened butter
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c [12 oz. pkg.] Nestlé Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c chopped nuts [optional]
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; move to wire racks to cool completely.
I’ve tweaked this recipe and the directions just a smidge. Instead of one 12 oz. pkg. of choco chips, I use 1 1/2 bags [or 18 oz.], as I stated in my previous post, 1 pkg. of dry vanilla pudding mix [this is entirely optional but intended for added moisture and tenderness], and when adding the eggs, I put both eggs in their own bowl and beat them and then add 1/2 to the sugar mixture, beat, and add the rest of the eggs and beat again. I’ve found that in doing this the cookie dough becomes much fluffier, producing chewier cookies. And really, who doesn’t love a soft, moist, chewy chocolate chip cookie? Also, don’t get to hung up on the idea of having to use an electric mixer to “beat” the dough, I’ve found that using a simple large dinner fork and doing it by hand works just as well, if not better. Lastly, when I’m scooping the dough out, I don’t do it “rounded” for some reason every time I try to do this the cookies come out weirdly misshapen, I use the same fork I used to mix everything and just drop it off the fork, this works great! And there’s really no point in dirtying up anything else because that just adds for more mess at clean up time, besides we’re in a drought here in Cali, so use as little to clean as little!
I’m so excited about this new recipe that I can’t wait to get off work, run home, and try it! I’ll probably update after I make it. My fiancé will be the judge of whether or not it’s d-lish. I trust his taste buds more than my own.
