January 3: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ty helps clean up!  His favorite part!

Back to the basics...baking day today!  I hadn't planned anything to bake this week, but I found all the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies!  This recipe is off the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chip bag.  I've saved it after the first batch turned out so well.  We didn't have the Ghirardelli chocolate chips this time, but I figured it'd still work.  Unfortunately, the cookies didn't turn out very well this time...I'm pretty sure it wasn't because we used the wrong chocolate chips...must have been over-baked or another ingredient wasn't up to par. 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or any variety) :)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 374 degrees.  Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.  In large mixer bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until they are creamy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mix on low speed until incorporated.  Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.