the best chocolate chip cookie

Origin: “Baking: From My Home To Yours” by Dorie Greenspan
Makes about 45 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes

Ingredients:
● 2 cups all purpose flour
● 1 tsp. salt
● 3/4 tsp. baking soda
● 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
● 1 cup sugar
● 2/3 cup light brown sugar
● 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
● 2 large eggs
● 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used 2 cups store-bought chocolate chips)
● 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 200 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or spray with cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together.

3. Beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth (you can use a stand mixer, but I don’t have one so I used a hand mixer). Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. By hand with a wooden spoon, mix in the chocolate and nuts. The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. (Normally, I put it in the fridge for just a half an hour just to firm it up but this time I couldn’t wait- tell me who would!? )

4. Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls.

5. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point- for 10 or 12 minutes, or until they brown at the edges and are golden in the center. Pull sheet from oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool to room temperature.