New Favorite: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (REAL BUTTER, UNSALTED!)

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium high until fluffy, 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated; fold in chocolate chips and chunks.

Using a 1/4 cup ice-cream scoop or large spoon, drop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet. You should have 24. (unless husband and kids are home!) Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange 6 unbaked cookies 3 inches apart on two cookie sheets. Bake until edges are light golden brown, 17 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool on wire rack.

I always double this recipe! I throw the butter and sugars in my bosch to mix with the wire whips then when I add the flour mixture, I switch to the cookie paddles. I fill cookie sheets with the dough and wrap tightly with foil. The dough keeps great in the fridge for a week and longer in the freezer. Once chilled I just put them in a ziploc bag and transfer to freezer. Usually they don't make it to the freezer! Within a week I always have someone/someplace to take cookies. I love having them available at a moments notice.

These cookies taste like they are from a bakery to me! Let me know if you agree!