Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

With the snow still flying here in the Northern Michigan and the kids being home on spring break for the last week, I’ve been trying to hold my own. Being that I work from home, I had to find some creative ways to spend spring break and took advantage of our Spring Break Staycation Ideas here on the Grandpa Shorter’s blog. I also have NO idea how I managed to stay sane these last 7 days and that got me wondering I managed to keep my sanity when the kids were little and I was just a stay at home mom looking for creative ways to entertain and keep them busy. Cooking and being in the kitchen is huge for us so I am always cooking or baking something and the kids are always wanting to help out.

Thankfully, I did have a little reprieve this week through the Crooked Tree Arts Center Spring Break Program for Kids here in Petoskey. My girls LOVE to help out in the kitchen and it’s always fun but messy. Crooked Tree was offering a Kids in the Kitchen program during spring break for kids in Kindergarten-3rd grade. We absolutely love Crooked Tree’s programs and take part in their offerings multiple times a year. As soon as the saw they had spring break activities, I signed up the 5 and 6 year old. They girls learned how to make a variety of items including; homemade bread, chocolate & peanut butter energy bites, muffins, chocolate cake and more! Even cooler, they made and decorated their own cookbook which they brought home at the end of the week. The girls had a fantasic time and even made into the Petoskey News Review a few times!

Fast forward to t is past weekend and the girls were still on a cooking kick. The homemade bread they brought home was so good. I mean, my husband and I ate the whole loaf good. Don’t judge, it was small, and delicious! We ended up making another loaf of homemade bread and I was feeling like chocolate chip cookies. Who doesn’t love a classic, chewy, melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie? I dug through my recipes and found a keeper that I am sharing with you today. These chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy and just all-around delicious.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients –

3/4 C. salted butter, melted and cooled
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tbs. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
12 oz chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips

Directions –

#1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil, non-stick baking mat or parchment paper.
#2. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
#3. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and slowly add in the flour and stir gently to combine. Add in the chocolate chips.
#4. Use a small tablespoon or a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, gently roll the dough into a tall rectangle using your hands and gently flatten the ends slightly. Trust me here, it will look funny but the cookie with bake down into a chewy soft cookie once it’s baking. Stand the dough up about 2″ apart on the baking sheet.
#5. Bake 8-10 minutes (9 minutes was perfect in my oven), but do not overbake. These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy.
#6. Remove the oven and enjoy with an ice cold glass of milk.

*Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.