The Virtual Cookie Exchange is a sweet hop hosted annually by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt. I’m so excited to be a part of this fun hop for a 2nd time. Thanks so much for hosting Carol.

You can see my post from last year here.

I mentioned last year I have 3 cookies I like to make each Christmas season. Last year I shared with you  Gingerbread Men. This year I’m sharing Chocolate Chip Cookies, Santa’s favorite. It’s a recipe that I altered over 20 years ago from a cookbook my sister-in-law had. I don’t remember the name of the cookbook.

For those who haven’t read my post from last year, I don’t use baking soda or salt in my Gingerbread Men cookies. The same goes for my Chocolate Chip Cookies. In my experience leaving out the baking soda just make them softer. I don’t like a hard or chewy cookie. 🙂

Now last year I had a few people question me on this. I don’t know much about baking but maybe it’s the high altitude that helps with this, like I said I don’t know. What I do know is that using baking powder instead of baking soda I get the cookie texture I like best. I just want one recipe that works and make it over and over. For me this is the one for Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So, to get started.

What you will do first is cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. It should be fluffy.

This is an important step. Chocolate Chip Cookies are a drop cookie. What I mean by this is that if the butter is too soft your cookies will spread. Your butter should still be formed but soft enough to press your finger in it but not runny or melting.

Now from what I read is if your butter is melted you can balance this with flour and you don’t have to cream the ingredients. I’ve only had that happen once and for me the cookie still spread out a little more than I like. The cookie was a little chewy. From what I understand the flour/butter mixture needs to be right. Maybe that was my problem.

Like I said I’m not much of a baker. lol So that’s why I make sure that the butter is soften but not melted.

Next, add the vanilla and eggs.  Mix it well. Then I mix the flour into the batter one cup at a time.

I have a stand mixer, but for some reason, without thought, I use the hand mixer. If you have a stand mixer I would recommend using that. Not that you can’t use your hand mixer. The batter does get stiff/thick. So, a stand mixer is best. If you do use a hand mixer mix the flour in one cup at a time.

Then you will stir in the chocolate chips

and the optional walnuts by hand.

Leaving out the walnuts doesn’t affect the recipe, if you should choose too.

I use the Pampered Chef small scoop to drop the cookies….

…..onto my very seasoned Pampered Chef stone.

I’ve had this stone for almost 20 years. It’s that crazy!

If you don’t have a stone you can use an ungreased cookie sheet.

After baking in the oven for between 10-14 mins or until light brown.

Tip: Test your first batch to see how they bake up in the oven to find the best time. I always do this for everything I bake. I use the recipe time directions as a guideline.

They don’t hang out long on the cooling rack. The boys eat them as fast as I can bake them.

For that reason, I don’t know the exact number this recipe makes. I can say approximately between 2-3 dozen. If you use a larger scoop to drop the cookies that number will be less.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Please visit the other bakers on the list for today.

December 6

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Brenda’s Quilting Blog

Bumbleberry Stitches

Just Let Me Quilt….to enter giveaway and to see complete list of bakers

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