Chocolate Chip Cookies

When we were growing up, we had black labrador retrievers.  Teak was the name of our first dog who was followed by Soot. The dogs were well accustomed to responding to the sound of the cover on the cookie jar.  I bring this up because one of the memories I have of baked chocolate cookies is it seemed there was always one pan that went in the oven without the timer being set. Typically the odor of charred cookies hit the nose of the baker, a few choice words were uttered, the oven door was opened and the stove hood fan was turned up to high.  These cookies were appropriately named "Soot Cookies".  The black-bottom beauties resided in a bowl next to the cookie jar for the enjoyment of the dog with the same name.

The recipe that follows makes a chewy chocolate chip cookie.  I took it off of the back of a bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet (60% Cacao) Chocolate Chips.  I made the cookies according to the recipe leaving the nuts out.  I used parchment paper on the cookie sheet and baking each pan for 11 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2¼ cups unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 10 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oven to 375ºF. 
• Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color.
• Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
• Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, (optional).
• Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.