Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never made chocolate chip cookies when I got married, and it's because every time I did they were...not very good, at all!  It all changed when I got this recipe off of my aunt Lisa's blog.  And I'm so thankful for people who share their BEST recipes.  Now chocolate chip cookies are made in our house on a regular basis and perfect every time.  Although...my husband a two kids actually like these cookies without chocolate chips.  Yes, you heard right.  But the good part of that is, is that this recipe is so good it does not even need chocolate chips to make it yummy. So here is the recipe....

Denise's Chocolate Chip Cookies

(aka "Evil, Wicked, I'll-Start-My-Diet-Tomorrow Chocolate Chip Cookies")

• 1 Cup Butter (equal to two sticks. I know it's a ridiculous amount. Put it in anyway. And DO NOTunder any circumstances even THINK about substituting margarine or shortening. The gods will strike you dead if you even try. Plus your cookies will be ruined. So there.)
• 2 oz. Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil (yes, a whole cup. I told you these were evil.)
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Tbsp. Vanilla (that's not a typo. Two Tablespoons.)
• 5 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 Cups Rolled Oats (quick or regular)
• 2 Cups Nuts, chopped (optional if you have not yet ascended the holy mountain of nut worship. Keep this failure to yourself if you want to be my friend.)
• 18 oz Chocolate Chips, either semi-sweet or milk chocolate as preferred

Soften butter and cream cheese. Add sugars and blend well. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix. In another bowl combine flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon, and stir well. Add to wet ingredients and mix just until uniform. Add oatmeal, nuts, and chocolate chips.

I make this recipe in my 5 qt Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. After adding the oatmeal, I detach the stainless steel bowl from the stand and use a heavy duty long handled spoon to mix in the chocolate chips by hand.

Space them 3 inches apart on the greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree oven just until cookies begin to brown. In my oven, that takes 8-9 minutes on the top rack. I use Air-Bake brand pans for cookies to avoid burning the bottoms, but if you use only the top rack you should be fine with a single layer cookie sheet. When cookies are done, remove cookie sheet from oven and let sit for a minute before transferring them to the cooling rack. They should be somewhat crispy on the top and bottom, yet still chewy on the inside. If they're not chewy inside, you cooked them too long.

This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies, depending on the size you make them. If you don't need that kind of temptation around, you can freeze a portion of the cookie dough in balls on the cookie sheet, and then transfer to a ziploc freezer bag for later snacking... er, baking.

All my thanks and credit given to...

http://boks-funnyfarm.blogspot.com/2008/08/make-these-cookies-now.html