Friday Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies

You don't have to say chocolate chip cookies to me twice, I am there! I love chocolate chip cookies, and all the variations that go along with them. You go to the grocery store and there are baking chips of every flavor; dark chocolate, white chocolate, mint, butterscotch, peanut butter, cinnamon, and more. 

You can, of course, find the famous Toll House cookie recipe in the back of a bag of Nestle chocolate chips, but I've put together quite a few variations for you to try below. Several from Old Fashioned Living, and a sampling of tried and true recipes from the blogging world. 

Fun Historical Fact: The phrase "Toll House" comes from the restaurant that the creator of the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe owned and operated. Her name was Ruth Graves Wakefield and she and her husband ran the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, MA. The building itself was built in 1709 and was used as a toll house where passengers ate while the horses were changed on the way from Boston to New Bedford. There's a few tid bits of information on Wikipedia for your reading enjoyment, but if you really want to read about The Toll House and glean a bunch of recipes from Ruth Graves Wakefield herself, then check out the book Toll House Tried and True Recipes.

Ruth died in 1977, and the Toll House Inn burned down from a fire that started in the kitchen on New Year's Eve 1984, but her cookie still lives on. The inn was never rebuilt and the site is now honored with a historical marker. There are a number of manufacturers of chocolate chips today, however the agreement to publish the recipe of Ruth Graves Wakefield on the back of each package of Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookies is still honored as of 2009.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/2 package)

1 tablespoon milk, half and half or cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. orange extract (optional)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans, or macadamia nut (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, cream cheese and milk in medium bowl at medium speed until well blended. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Mix in the flour. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop level measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. These were very soft when first done, so I left them on the pan for ten minutes or so, then transferred to finished cooling. I also did not use the nuts-my son doesn't like them, and these were his request for the classroom party! They turned out great.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or spray lightly with cooking spray. Sift the flour and salt into a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in mini chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, slightly shape and flatten the dough. I found the cookie looked much nicer when I did this. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies With A Twist

Makes approximately 44

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. + 3 tsp. Frangelico or Amaretto liqueur

1-1/2 cups butterscotch chips

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and blend well.

In a large mixing bowl on medium speed, beat butter and sugars until creamy.

Beat in eggs and Frangelico or Amaretto liqueur. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour until blended. Stir in butterscotch chips, oatmeal and nuts. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10–12 minutes or until golden around the edges.

Let cookies firm up on the cookie sheet for approx. 3-4 minutes then place them on a wire rack to cool.

These cookies will save for up to 1 week in an air tight container 2 months in the freezer.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together and add to the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter - I used half crunchy and half smooth

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats - I used old-fashioned and used and additional 1/4 cup.

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt - I didn't use

1 (12 oz.) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350F. Beat margarine, sugars, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs vigorously in large bowl until creamy and well blended. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet - I used parchment paper.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes (I baked for 10 minutes) or until golden brown. Cool one minute and then move to wire rack.

Cookie Decorating, Storing and Shipping Tips

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/cookietips.html

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Some Great Blog Posts:

Maple Walnut White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (not flavoured pancake syrup)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla or maple extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup each white chocolate chips/chunks and chopped walnuts

To get the instructions click here

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DoughMessTic Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Bread Flour
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground coffee
1 1/2 sticks half melted butter (12 Tbsp)
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Vanilla Sugar
1 Large Egg and 1 EggYolk
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup SemiSweet Chunks
1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (regular sized)
1/3 cup Bittersweet Chips
1/3 cup White Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup Chopped chocolate bar with Nuts (I used one with hazelnuts)
Sea Salt (to top)

To get the instructions click here

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Choco Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour - sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 sticks real unsalted butter - softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp PURE vanilla extract - I use Madagascar pure vanilla extract, it’s a little pricey but worth it
2 large eggs - room temperature
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chip morsels - I like ghiardelli

To get the instructions click here

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Captain Morgan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
3 tbsp Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum; retain some extra for “basting”

To get the instructions click here

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Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (or use semisweet chips and you won’t have to chop the chocolate)
4 tbsp butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
1 12-oz package semisweet chocolate chunks

To get the instructions click here

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 c. pureed pumpkin
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chocolate chips

To get the instructions click here

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Washington YWCA Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. flaked coconut
2 c. (one 12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

To get the instructions click here

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Award-Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
With undying gratitude to Debbi on allrecipes.com

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
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 (you could also use chocolate pudding for chocolate-y cookies ... but vanilla's my favorite)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional, I never use 'em)

To get the instructions click here

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Amazing Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

12.4 oz all purpose bleached flour (2 ¾ cups spooned and swept)
8 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks (16 tablespoons or 2 sticks)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 hard boiled egg, cut into big chunks (Update: it's now been tested using only hard boiled egg (2) and is even better!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package or 2 cups semi-sweet or milk (or a combo, which is what I do) chocolate chips

To get the instructions click here

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The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

To get the instructions click here