Stella says I’ve baked too much bread for them and she’s gained about 40 pounds (in total I think she weighs 40 pounds!).  She did, however, think chocolate chip cookies would be a good idea.

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Makes 26 HUGE cookies (or 52 regular size!)

• ½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cinnamon
• 2  cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips (or sub 1/2 with cranberries)
• 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. 

Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl. 

With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix. 

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart for extra large cookies – I prefer to get more cookies to share and make them smaller – to fit 12 on a cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft. 

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

I found this the perfect size for home eating – 12 to a cookie sheet.

Good thing I have 4 cookie sheets, otherwise it might have taken all day to allow them to completely cool on the baking sheet.  As it is, I did move them after about 30 minutes.

A plate of these crispy edged, chewy interior cookies is a good idea any time of day.

There are moments of sharing during this 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, and this recipe is one of them.  Apparently a famous recipe from DoubleTree hotels, it is their signature cookie, and I’m not the only one to love this cookie.  No, I haven’t stayed there, so I’ve never had one of these warm on arrival, but they are delicious out of your own oven.  I reduced the chocolate slightly – the original calls for 2 2/3 cups of chocolate chips but I found that a bit overpowering.  Yes, you can have too many chocolate chips.