Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was raised on Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were the first things I learned to bake and have always been my go-to recipe when craving home made cookies. However, I did spend almost ten years in the San Francisco Bay Area and found that I really, really, REALLY liked the taste of Ghirardelli chocolate, though I continued to use the recipe from the back of the Toll House morsels for my cookies.

This time, I used the recipe on the back of the Ghirardelli package of semi-sweet morsels. The only difference is less salt and more vanilla but because I use a Mexican vanilla with a hint of cinnamon, the little extra makes the cookies even better.

I didn’t have enough granulated sugar for the recipe and really didn’t want to go to the store, so I pulled out my mortar and pestle to crush up enough sugar cubes to do the job!

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.  Beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well until incorporated.

Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.  Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. I cooked them for 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheet midway through baking.

Not on recipe but I cool on baking sheets for a couple minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.