Nestlé's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

A year ago, I had three basic recipes for chocolate chip cookies: the so-called Neiman-Marcus cookies, the ones I make from the pizookie recipe, and the recipe that my friend Jen calls her best recipe yet (which I’ll share someday). To me, they fall in different categories (cookies with oatmeal, with salt, and traditional). However, over the past few years, I had come across a good half-dozen recipes for chocolate chip cookies that had caught my attention. I kept putting off trying them, because after all, I already had three wonderful recipes FOR THAT ONE DESSERT. But then again, if I hadn’t tried new recipes, I wouldn’t have found the pizookie one. So I’ll be posting about chocolate chip cookies periodically for a while.

The first recipe I tried was a disaster. I’m not even talking about it any further, except to say that it did not make it to my recipe collection. Then I tried Nestlé’s famous chocolate chip cookies. I had a soft spot for this recipe because of the Friends episode which Monica spends trying to recreate Phoebe’s grandmother’s legendary recipe, only to find out it is printed on the back of a package of Nestlé-Tollhouse chocolate chips.

I made them, and decided they work much better when the cookie sheet is lined with parchment paper, so I added that to the recipe. But still, the cookies did not live up to their reputation. They are good, but not great. To me, they fall in the “traditional” category, like Jen’s best cookies. Except that Jen’s are better. So for those of you who are interested in Nestlé’s recipe, here it is, just be aware of its limitations. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz package) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (I did not use them, I dislike nuts in chocolate chip cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 °F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.