Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and Tips

Sometimes we all can get overwhelmed with the wealth of ideas online available for activities with kids. I love  doing crafts and educational activities with my kids, but sometimes the most simple things--like making chocolate chip cookies--are the best experiences. Our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is this simple recipe from the back of the bag of Tollhouse Chocolate Chips:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c. chocolate chips

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for about 9 minutes or until golden brown.

Variations: We have also substituted other items for the chocolate chips--my kids love it when we have m & m cookies--the same recipe as above except with m &m's instead of chocolate chips.

A few tips I use for making perfect chocolate chip cookies are as follows:

• Don't let the butter get too soft--that can create cookies that are too flat.
• Don't overmix the dough--that can create cookies that are too hard.
• Don't overbake--I actually usually bake my cookies for about 8 minutes, then I pull them out of the oven and let them just continue baking for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

For those perfectionists out there, you could also check out this amazing article about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. But my kids and I are usually happy enough even if our cookies aren't perfect--it is still a fun experience mixing, baking, and eating fresh chocolate chip cookies!

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