Best chocolate chip cookies

My hubby loves chocolate chip cookies. There's a chance he married me for mine. This recipe is everyone's favorite and is the perfect dessert to bring to any potluck.

A few things about this cookie recipe I have learned through trial and error.

1. Temperature matters! I'm not talking about the over temperature (even though that matters too). I am talking about the temperature of the dough. One key step that really makes a difference in this recipe is chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. It helps to keep the dough together and lessens the amount of spreading. If you can, chill over night

2. Don't cream the butter on too high of a speed! The speed of the mixer will heat up the butter and start to melt the butter. Once it starts to separate, your dough will not turn out the same.

3. This recipe is really easy to double (or triple, yes I've done that) and freeze!

4. If you decide to freeze the dough, I would suggest pre-scooping the dough into individual cookie portions. That way, when you want some cookies, it is easy to pull out exactly how many you want. I find this also helps with portion control. If I bake a dozen, hubby and I will eat all 12 in one sitting. But if I only bake 4...I'll wish I had made more haha!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2.5 cups flour

• 1.5 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use either semi-sweet or a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. I like the tiny bit of bitter the semi-sweet offers to counter all the sugary-ness of the dough)

Directions

1. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, start to cream the softened butter. Gradually add in all the sugars until incorporated well with the butter. Be careful not to overheat the butter and cause separation.

2. Next, add in eggs and vanilla. Continue to mix.

3. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until completed incorporated.

4. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

6. Using a non-stick cookie sheet, scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of dough with about 2 inches between each pile of dough to allow for spreading.

7. If desired, add a few more chocolate chips to the top of each cookie.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges and bottom of cookies are browned.

You guys, look at these cookies!!!!

The edges are just the tiniest bit crunchy, the middles are soft and chewy. This recipe will remind you of grandma's cookies.