Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know what happened during my first pregnancy, but since I became a mom, I cannot stay away from chocolate.

(Except chocolate ice cream. Not a big fan.)

Before becoming a mom, I liked chocolate well enough. Now, I love chocolate, I obsess about chocolate, I cannot keep my hands off of chocolate. (Cheap American chocolate, though, is an exception. You couldn't pay me to eat it.)

My favorite? Chocolate cake. With lots of frosting. If there's a mousse or rich ganache involved, even better. (Pause to consider a perfect chocolate dessert.)

Thankfully, I am not a baker. I absolutely do not enjoy making tarts or cakes or pies, but I do like making cookies. They don't (or shouldn't) take much time, and as soon as they are semi-cool you have instant gratification. Of course, eating a little bite or three of raw dough is even instant-er gratification that I always take advantage of.

It took me years to find what I consider the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I like my cookies to be moist and chewy, not hard and flat, so here are two variations, courtesy of Martha Stewart Living. Both are equally fabulous.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and Chewy
Makes about 3 dozen

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, combine butter with both sugars. Beat on medium speed til light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add salt, vanilla and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about one minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon size balls 2” apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes.

Variation:

Cakey Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

Decrease quantity of unsalted butter to 14 tablespoon (1 ¾ sticks). Increase granulated sugar to ¾ of a cup and use only ¼ cup light brown sugar. Cook 10-12 minutes.