Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

By: Stacey Hill, Truly Custom Cakery, LLC

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups flour (use bread flour for a chewier cookie or all purpose for standard)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking soda, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

For pan cookies, set the temperature in your oven to 325. Spread the batter into a ½ sheet cake pan (jelly roll pan). You will have a little left over. You can refrigerate it for later or make a ½ dozen cookies. Cook at least 25 minutes or until the whole top has a lightly browned look. Let the cookies cool COMPLETELY before cutting with a paring knife and removing from the pan.