Remembering Rodents

Anytime I see a chocolate chip cookie it brings to mind my favorite childhood book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. I can remember asking my older siblings and my mom to read this book to me over and over again. The book outlines a string of events kicked off my feeding a mouse a chocolate chip cookie and I recall finding it very funny. It teaches cause and effect relationships and the illustrations are very entertaining. It is really cute and quirky and I highly recommend it to anyone with small children.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Southern Living April 2005

Yield

Makes about 5 dozen

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12-ounce) package Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate morsels

Preparation

Beat butter with white sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended then add brown sugar

and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla,

beating until blended.

Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 14 minutes (I baked them 12 minutes) or until desired degree of doneness. They will harden after removing from oven so don't bake too long. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to a week.