I recently had a request from my younger son for some good ‘ole chocolate chip cookies. His favourite, he says. I can recall many months ago when I didn’t know a thing about baking, or didn’t really bother learning because my oldest son always did the baking. I called him the midnight baker because many a times, after dinner, or watching his favourite game(s) on TV, he would go to the pantry in the garage then come back in with flour and sugar. The remaining ingredients would always be a nice surprise for us to figure out…especially by smell. We all knew in the house that it was going to be something awfully good! The most requested of the cookies he made were chocolate chip cookies…So here’s an ode to some of the best late-night snacks we’ve ever had.

Yields two dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup (8 oz) bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used mini chocolate chips)

Directions

MIX

1. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a big bowl and stir. Set the bowl aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars for several minutes, until they look light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Add the flour mixture right into the butter mixture.
4. Mix on low-speed until they are incorporated. Then stir in the chocolate chips. ( I used 95% of the mini chocolate chips so that each cookie bite will contain chocolate chips. Save the remainder of the chips for use later)

BAKE
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Scoop table-spoon sized balls of dough onto parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets. Leave about 2 inches between them so they have plenty of room to spread.
2. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.
3. Add the remainder of the mini chocolate chips, as well as, any other chocolate chip type morsels you have available on top of each cookie for extra bites to enjoy! (As pictured, add mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips on top of each cookie about 1-2 minutes before removing them completely from the oven.)
4. Let cool for about a minute or two before lifting them to a rack to cool.

TIP

1. If you like an ooey, gooey, melty cookie, opt for chocolate chunks.
2. For the thickest, chewiest cookies, chill the dough for 1 to 2 hours–or overnight–before baking.

VARIETIES

Here are a few other varieties to try!

• Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Brittle and Sea Salt (Add 4 ounces crushed peanut brittle to the dough when you mix in the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the formed cookies lightly with sea salt just before baking.)
• Double Chocolate Chips with Pistachios (Replace the chips with half dark chocolate and half white chocolate chips and mix a few handfuls of shelled unsalted pistachios.)
• Extra Chocolaty Chocolate Chips(Grate a few ounces of semisweet chocolate directly into the batter and increase the chips by 1/2 cup.)

Recipe adapted from The CookingPedia by Stacy Admando