Chocolate Chip Cookies that stay soft and chewy.

Hi,

I had trouble finding a recipe that I liked for chocolate or other chip cookies that would stay soft and chewy, freeze (and unfreeze well), and taste great for years. The ones I came across usually were a bit or a lot crunchy. So, I started with a basic recipe and just kept messing with it till I came up with this one.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Variations

My recipe (cookies freeze great and will stay soft and chewy)

6 cups flour (about)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups butter or trans-fat free margarine (read the labels)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 cups packed down light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 packages instant pudding, vanilla (4 ounce packages)
4 eggs
1 1/2 packages chocolate chips (12 ounce packages, semi-sweet)
First I put everything but the chips in a large bowl. I like to mix with my hands, as when my hands stop sticking to the batter, I know it's ready to bake. I add the chips last.

Once this is all done, I take the batter, which will be a little firm and full of chips and put it on the cookie sheets (I use two at a time, so I always  have one going, this makes a bit) - and actually the size of these won't matter. I've made small cookies, large ones and also huge ones, for a joke for another person - they all come out good.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes (again, depends on size of cookies) till the top isn't too soft and the bottom is starting to brown - remove and place on paper towels till cooled.

*Note - I use unbleached flour, and the amount above is a guess-timate; as I keep mixing and if I feel it needs more flour, I add it little by little till my hands no longer stick to the dough at all. Then it's done.

Variations:

Butterscotch pudding with butterscotch chips.
Chocolate pudding (this makes a light chocolate cookie), with either chocolate chips, milk chocolate or semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips - or any other you like.
Coconut pudding with chocolate chips.

With this recipe, you can mix it up, leave the pudding out and separate it into two batches and then add your pudding, mix well again and make two different kinds of cookies - (I just did this with vanilla pudding and semi-sweet in one, butterscotch in another, with butterscotch chips), and both batches will come out great. You have enough dough to do this and if you do, you add one package of instant pudding to each part. Enjoy.

mn - 2007