The "Other" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been a Toll House girl my whole life. No deviations, got the recipe right on the bag, no questions asked. Until now.

While making Pane Toscana over Christmas, I was feeling a little wild-n-crazy, so I tried the so-called "Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe on the Gold Medal Flour bag. "Extraordinary" may be pushing it, but they are real darn good. The Beloved and girls have declared they will only eat this kind from now on, and I have to say...I think I agree. So here you go:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter - softened
1-1/4 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tb. vanilla

4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 bag (24 oz.) chocolate chips
2 c. chopped nuts (optional - we say yuck!)

Directions:

(Preheat oven to 350*)

1. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl, whisking with fork to distribute salt and baking soda evenly in flour, set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, blend butter and sugars at medium speed*, adding eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add in flour mixture until well incorporated** (dough will be stiff and even a wee bit crumbly), then fold in chocolate chips

4. Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheets by generous tablespoonful (I have a fabulous 1/8 c. scoop that is the perfect size for this recipe) and bake 11-13 minutes*** until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approx. 6 dozen

* I use my trusty KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer - as long as the butter is nice and soft, use the whisk blender attachment

** I switch over to the dough hook at this point

*** I use Baker's Secret (2 layer air pocket style) cookie sheets and a rounded 2 Tb. scoop, so the bake time increases to 15 minutes - keep an eye on 'em the first time you make these and adjust accordingly - same goes for using a SilPat on a regular flat cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, which I've also done.