Make Your Own Cookies!!

Today, my youngest and I made chocolate chip cookies for his and his siblings' school lunches.  Homemade cookies are the best, and they really don't take that long.  My family's favorite cookie is chocolate chip (my fave is oatmeal raisin), so that's what I make most often.

My chocolate chip cookies usually are a variation of the tried and true Original Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe.  Sometimes (like today) I substitute Crisco for half the butter; sometimes I do half margarine; sometimes I do all butter - it all depends on what ingredients I have on hand.  The same goes for the chocolate chips.  Sometimes I substitute some milk chocolate chips, M&Ms, butterscotch chips...again, it's whatever I have in the pantry.

I also am known to make cake box cookies.  I love the ease of making these cookies - all you do is add egg and oil to cake mix and voila cookie dough!  Both recipes follow.

Original Nestle Toll House Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature for 1/2 hour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare cookie sheets (spray with pam, cover with parchment paper, or cover with Silspat).  If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, use the dough paddle.  Beat butter until fluffy.  Add sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Use spatula to push down batter from side of bowl and off bottom.  Add 1 tsp of salt and beat for 30 seconds.  Add 1 tsp of baking soda and beat for 30 seconds.  Gradually mix in flour on low setting.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a a Papered Chef mini scoop (or 2 teaspoons), drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.  Note:  If you have a convection oven, you can do 3 cookie sheets at once.  Decrease the temperature to 325 (my oven does that automatically), but bake for the same length of time.

When done, remove from oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (any flavor)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare cookie sheets (spray with pam, cover with parchment paper, or cover with Silspat).  In large mixing bowl combine cake mix, oil, and eggs.  Stir until well blended.

Using a a Papered Chef mini scoop (or 2 teaspoons), drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Note:  If you have a convection oven, you can do 3 cookie sheets at once.  Decrease the temperature to 325 (my oven does that automatically), but bake for the same length of time.