Baking: Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I discovered my love for baking long before I found any affection for cooking.

Many Saturday nights during my tween years were spent in our kitchen, whipping up creampuffs, chocolate pies, or the “family favourite” calamansi squares.

My brother would often sit on our marble table counter and amuse me with his tales. In exchange for his company, I would give him the bowls to lick clean once I was done using them.

I don’t bake as often as I used to. But once in a while, my mind craves the ‘whirrr’ of a hand-mixer, the whipped perfection of sugar and butter, and that glorious smell of warm vanilla wafting through the house.

Today was one of those times.

So I decided to go back to an old favourite. Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe (from the Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking) is the one I’ve used for years and it has never failed me. I’ve shared some tips at the bottom.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 bags (12 oz each) semisweet chocolate chips (2 to 4 cups)

—-

1 Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well blended. Beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

2 On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.

3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

My Tips:

* Use regular, salted butter. I think the creamy saltiness from the butter helps tame the sweetness.

* You can reduce the sugar to 1 cup each, but still use both white and brown.

* For super chewiness, bake at 8 min. and don’t be afraid if it looks super soft when you pull it out. Let them cool on the cookie rack for 1 minute and then gently remove.

* You can never have enough chocolate chips. I usually use around 750 grams of chips for this recipe.

* Take one fresh from the oven and pop it into someone’s mouth. You’ve just become their favourite person.