Hershey’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The ward Christmas party was Friday and I brought my contribution: three dozen caramel-dipped shortbread cookies on a tiered stand that Olivia helped me assemble, each cookie wrapped individually in cellophane and tied with a red ribbon because Olivia said the presentation should match the occasion, and Olivia is right about presentation in the way that eleven-year-olds who are going to be excellent teachers are right about presentation: completely and without excess. The cookies were eaten before the party was half over. Sister Williams caught my eye across the cultural hall and gave me the specific look of someone who knows they were right to trust you.

I finished the Christmas fudge second batch and the second round of sugar cookies and a new addition this year: homemade hot cocoa mix, layered in mason jars with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, powdered milk, and mini chocolate chips, topped with a ribbon and a tag that says: just add hot water. I made twelve jars for the teacher gifts this year. Four kids, four teachers each. Or approximately that. I also made jars for the neighbors, the two community center coordinators who have been fielding workshop inquiries on my behalf, and Sister Pacheco, who sent me a card in November that said: I have used the freezer system every week since June and I wanted you to know. I kept the card. I will keep it for a long time.

The kids' school programs are this week. Lily sang in the second-grade choir and was, by her own assessment, the best one there. Noah performed a tableau as a Christmas tree at his preschool program and stood absolutely still for four minutes while the other children moved around him, which is not typically Noah behavior and which the preschool teacher said was his idea. He felt that Christmas trees do not move. He was committed to accuracy. I sat in the third row and held Brandon's hand and cried a little bit and then did not apologize for it because it was a Christmas tree and a four-year-old and December and there is no standard against which this is excessive.

The caramel shortbread got the glory on Friday, but chocolate chip cookies are the ones I make on autopilot — the ones that go into tins for neighbors, get stacked next to the fudge, and fill the gaps in a cookie tray when I realize at 9 p.m. that I am four dozen short. This Hershey’s recipe is what I reach for every December: soft in the center, golden at the edge, and reliably gone. If you are making gifts this season — for teachers, for ward friends, for Sister Pacheco — start here.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 11 min per batch | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups (one 12 oz bag) Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. The mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy.
Combine wet and dry. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Fold in the chips. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Scoop the dough. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. For uniform cookies, use a #40 cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie).
Bake. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool — pull them early for maximum softness.
Cool on the pan. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Gift or store. Layer cooled cookies in tins or gift boxes between sheets of parchment. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per cookie)

Hershey’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — The Cookie Tin That Started It All