Ashley's Crack Cookies

So, I make these really basic chocolate chip cookies. Really simple, from my good old Betty Crocker cookbook. But for some reason, they are the best cookies ever. Seriously. So good that they have become known in my circles as Crack Cookies.

A couple of years ago, I decided to make gift baskets as Christmas gifts for friends and family. Since I already knew that a lot of people loved my chocolate chip cookies, I decided to include those in the baskets. B (oh, that would be my soon-to-be-hubby, Bill; see our blog to your left) and I have these friends, Jamey and Kelly, who happen to be sisters. Both received these gift baskets from us. So, Jamey and Kelly are talking about how they have each already eaten their cookies and wondering what I put in them that makes them SOOOO good. Kelly says I must put crack in them because they are addicting. And so they became known in our little circle of friends as Crack Cookies. Now, I had already made these cookies and taken them to work on numerous occassions. When I relayed the Crack Cookie story there, the name stuck and now it's official.

Betty's Recipe:

3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter or stick margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts (I skip these because I don't like nuts in my cookies.)
1 bag (12oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)--Sometimes I use milk chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Beat sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

3. Drop by the rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove to wire sheet rack.

Sissy's Variations:

Now, a couple of things that we have determined recently that may be the cause of these being deemed "crack cookies." I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter and I do not omit the other salt from the recipe. I also add a splash more vanilla than the recipe calls for (did it by accident the first time and they were so good I kept doing it). And, in my opinion, the most important part is taking them out of the oven before they appear to be fully cooked. They actually almost look underdone, but once they sit out for a minute, the harden nicely on the outside, but are still nice and gooey on the inside.

I'll try to remember pictures next time!