Baking

The weather is cold now and I am looking to run the oven as much as possible when cooking to help with keeping the house warm and toasty. This means we are doing a lot more baking. From homemade bread to casseroles. One thing on my list this year is to teach the younger kids how to make chocolate chip cookies. I have such fond memories of teaching my older kids. Chocolate chip cookies are just primed for making memories. Chocolate chip cookies are one of those things that once you perfect them you can't go wrong with whipping up a batch for any occasion whether it be a holiday party at the office or to cheer the kids up after a long sad day. Chocolate chip cookies are a comfort food. How to make chocolate chip cookies better than ever. For the best chocolate chip cookies, you have to use real butter. Freeze butter when you find it on sale to always have some on hand for baking. My family always used margarine for everything growing up and I can tell you they are NOT the same. Real butter will give your chocolate chip cookies more flavor and a better texture. Don't use just any butter either. Use salted butter. You want this butter to have enough salt you can taste it when you butter a slice of toast. Aldi brand butter is perfect. Kroger brand butter is mildly disappointing as you can't taste salt in the salted butter at all. The other secrete to making really great chocolate chip cookies is to not skimp out on the chocolate chips. While you may be thinking you can save money or reduce the sugar in your chocolate chip cookies the truth is NOTHING is better than adding enough chocolate chips to keep the kids up for a week. What do you need to make chocolate chip cookies? 1 cup salted butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract2 large eggs3 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda½ tsp baking powder1 tsp salt1 1/2 - 12 oz bags chocolate chips How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your cookie sheets in parchment paper or silicone mats to easy removal. Start by softening your butter to room temperature. This will make it easy to work with and give you a consistent texture for your cookies. If your butter is rock solid place it in the oven for 2-3 minutes while it is preheating and you measure everything else out. Beat butter and sugars together until you have a light fluffy mixture. Slightly beat eggs. Add in eggs and vanilla extract mixing well. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the sugar batter mixture and fold in your chocolate chips until you have smooth cookie dough ready for holding. Form 1 inch balls or use the drop method dropping and scoop out heaping tablespoons of cookie dough. Place on your lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly golden in color. Pull cookies out before they become fully cooked. They will finish cooking as they cool. Transfer to a cooling rack to allow airflow for even cooling. Serve fresh or store in an airtight container to help preserve moisture. A great way to keep your cookies soft and tender longer is to store them with a slice of bread. Want a fun twist? Try my Butter rum Chocolate Chip cookies.

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