The Perfect Cookie

I have spent years perfecting this simple and classic dessert: The Chocolate Chip Cookie

After much trial and error, this is the recipe I have come to rely on as a go-to baking project for any and all occasions. Therefore, I feel it is an appropriate place to begin this collection.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes per tray, usually ~60 minutes total
Yield: 72 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup White Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
2 cups Flour
2 cups of chocolate chips (or any other add in's you want!)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375-F

Cream the sugar and the butter together.

Add the salt, baking powder, vanilla, and egg.

Mix by hand or with a blender until you have an even gooey mixture.

Begin adding the flour in 1/2 cup at a time.  This is the part of the recipe that takes the most practice.  I've found 2 cups of all purpose flour is the most common measurement I use, but it greatly depends on the brand of flour you're using; for example some very airy flours work great for these cookies, but I need to use 3 cups in order to get the perfect cookie consistency.

So, add your flour slowly, and incorporate all of it before adding more.  You will know you're done adding the flour when the dough is no longer sticky, and begins to stiffen slightly, but is still easily mailable.  Again, this is usually around the 2 cup mark.

Once you have the dough to your liking; it's time for the best part; the add in's! This is where you can get creative, any kind of candy morsel will do, chocolate chips, mint chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips,  mini m&m's, and chopped nuts are all items I've used to great success.

Stir the dough to evenly disperse your desired add in's.

Scoop the dough into tablespoonfuls and round them. Place them aprox 1-1.5 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet (silicone baking mats are fantastic for this).

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the tray.

They are best if enjoyed immediately; preferably with a big glass of milk!