The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I LOVE baking cookies. Every year, from Fall through Winter, I bake an enormous amount of cookies, mainly just for all of the cookie monsters in my home (AKA my husband and kids).
We do, however, find it in our hearts to share a few cookies with family and friends during the holidays.

While cookie baking is not complicated, finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie has been a challenge, and it took me years to find the "perfect" recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They were all either too thick, thin, dry, greasy, hard or just didn't hold together at all.

To me, the perfect chocolate chip cookie has the right balance of chocolate and cookie, and just the right texture which is a crisp but not hard exterior and a soft gooey, center. Not too thick, not too thin, something to satisfy all cookie lovers. The recipe below was adapted from the "Neiman Marcus" cookie recipe. It bakes at a lower temperature for a longer period of time than most cookies, which I think is one of the keys to making this cookie so perfect.  

These are best when eaten while still warm. I usually bake 2 dozen at a time and refrigerate (up to 2 days) or freeze the remaining dough for another time.


The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. 

Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, and blend for an additional 30 seconds.

In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time at low speed until flour is completely mixed in with the butter mixture. Add in chocolate chips and stir lightly just until the chips are distributed throughout the dough. 

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet, 2-3 inches apart. 

Bake for approximately 17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Bake 1 -2 minutes longer for a crispier cookie, or a 1-2 minutes less for a softer cookie. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 1 minute, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack. 

Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies, depending on size. 

Pico de Gallo

Salsa is as much of a staple to me as ketchup is to some. The salsa that I make most these days is a fresh salsa referred to as Pico de Gallo (translated, Pico de Gallo means "rooster's beak"). This can be served as a dip for chips, as a topping for tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, chicken, steak, fish, eggs, and more! Sometimes I even add a little of this to my guacamole.  Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo 

8 ripe Roma Tomatoes, cut into small chunks

1 medium Onion (any kind) cut into small chunks

1 small bunch Cilantro, large stems removed

1/4 to 1/2 cup jarred Jalapeño Slices

Juice of 1/2 lime (or a little of the jarred jalapeño juice)

Kosher Salt and fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

In a food processor, combine onion chunks, cilantro, and jalapeño slices. Pulse blend until finely chopped; put onion mixture into a large bowl. 

Add tomato chunks to the food processor and pulse blend just until chopped. Put tomatoes into the bowl with onion mixture. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper, stir well. 

Cover, and let sit at room temperature for several hours before serving, which allows all the flavors to blend.  Refrigerate leftovers, eat within 2-3 days. 

If you don't have a food processor, you can chop all ingredients to desired consistency. 

**Note: Any spicy pepper of your choice can be used. Jarred jalapeño slices are my preferred pepper, because the heat is consistent. Fresh peppers vary in heat intensity, and I've often over heated my salsas when using them fresh.

My favorite way to utilize fresh peppers in a salsa is to roast them first. Roasting fresh peppers mellows the heat and raw flavor. This can be done by placing several peppers into a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skins start to crackle and blacken, turn the peppers so that they evenly blacken an all sides. When peppers are blackened, carefully remove from pan and place into a Ziploc-type bag and seal.
As soon as the peppers are cooled, remove from bag, peel away and discard the blackened skins. Cut off stems, slice open the peppers, and remove some or all of the seeds, depending on heat desired.
Add roasted peppers to recipe as directed above. Use one or two peppers at a time, gradually adding more until desired heat level is achieved.

***Using gloves for this process is recommended.***