Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is something that we can all make in our sleep—something that when guests are coming over, we can whip up in a jiffy and know that it will turn out perfectly every time. Chocolate chip cookies are my go-to, reliable, crowd-pleasing winner. I can make them with my eyes closed, have the recipe memorized (it's super easy) and always have the ingredients in my pantry.

The great thing about this recipe is that the dough is so versatile. I like mine plain ... yep, no chocolate chips, nothing. My siblings and I used to ask my mom to make us "chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips" as none of us really liked chocolate (I know ... go ahead and stone us). I still always make one (ok, two) out of the batch without chocolate—otherwise I end up murdering all the cookies by just eating around the chocolate chips.

Instead of chocolate I love to add white chocolate chips and Macadamia nuts or M&M's or Reece's or pecans and dates. The possibilities are endless. These have chocolate chips and toffee bits in them. I realized after salivating over Christie's Cookies for years that one of their secrets is that they put toffee in their batter. You can buy Heath Bits on the baking isle in the grocery but I love to use Nashville Toffee Company's Almond Toffee—just chop it up and throw it in.

What's more comforting than chocolate chip cookies? ... maybe pancakes ... more on that later ...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

~12 cookies

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup toffee bits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter, sugar and brown sugar together in a sauce pan on the stove (if you are in a hurry, you can melt butter in microwave and then add the sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl). Remove pan from stovetop once everything is melted and combined. Add vanilla and let cool. Once cool, put sugar/butter mixture into a mixing bowl and add the egg; stir until combined. Add baking soda and salt. Add flour and stir until everything is combined. Add in toffee and chocolate and stir until just combined.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out dough onto cookie sheet. Place in 350 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Do not over bake. Makes approx. 12 cookies.

You can also scoop out cookies and place in freezer. You can pull out individual pieces of cookie dough and bake straight from freezer ... or just eat frozen dough (like I do—no judgement).