Rich Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are soft and delicious. Plus, increasing with pure vanilla extract, the cookies are much richer tasting cookie without adding calories!!

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temp.

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups (heaping) bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts, opts.

Situation the oven rack at the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda, then whisk together. Set aside.

Line cookies sheet with Parchment paper that stretches as far to the edge of the pan as possible. Parchment paper is coated with silicone, so cookies don't stick to it; it can be reused again and again.

In a mixer bowl, add the butter and sugars.

Cream butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl after one minute creaming.

When creaming, at first start beating the sugar and butter together, the mixture is thick and somewhat lumpy. As you continue to beat, the mixture becomes creamier in texture, more uniform, and lighter in color as air is beaten in. Scrape the sides of the bowl again.

NOTE: Pictures were taken at 1, 2 and 3 minutes of creaming.

Add eggs, one at a time, thoroughly beaten in egg before the next is added, to allow the creamed butter/sugar mixture to most effectively retain its trapped air.

Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add vanilla; mix well. And again, scrape the sides of the bowl.

Gradually, stir in flour mixture, a little at a time. This keeps the flour from puffing out of the bowl in a cloud and making a mess. Also prevents pockets of flour from forming in the dough. Stir only until the mixture is incorporated. Over mixing toughens the cookie.

Gently stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using them).

Add more chips as desired!!!

Using a tablespoonful or cookie scoop (#40 equals a tablespoon). Scoop the dough against the side of the bowl, using the lip of the bowl to level off the bottom, then squeeze the scoop's handle to release the dough onto a baking sheet. Drop the dough 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheet

Place cookies into preheated oven, bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven.

Place cookie sheet on a cooling rack. Leave cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes after you take the pan out of the oven. This gives the cookies a chance to firm up a bit before you slide a spatula underneath them.

Remove cookies from cookie sheet and place ton cooling rack and cool completely.

These cookies are soft and delicious. Plus, increasing amount of high quality pure vanilla extract, the cookies are much richer tasting cookie without adding calories.