Peppermint Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are probably one of the simplest and easiest things someone can bake. The recipe should be one of the first things used when learning to bake. It's also very versatile: you can replace the semi-sweet chocolate chips with pretty much anything similar: another flavor of chips (I like milk chocolate chips), chopped up candy bars, baking bits, M&Ms. Or Anthony's favorite this time of year: Andes Peppermint Chips. My mom has only been able to find these bags at one store (can't remember which one but I think it was Cost Plus World Market) so when she goes to that store she buys several bags. A while back she gave me a bag. And in an effort to get it out of my pantry, picking Anthony's present this year was a no-brainer.

Peppermint Chip Cookies (I used the Nestlé Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. Online version here)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (or similar amount of your choice of "chips." The bag I used is 10 oz)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. (I've started putting the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour before baking. Worked pretty well.)
4. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 
5. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Amount will vary based on the size of cookie scoop you use. The website says about 5 dozen but I think I only got about 3 dozen or so. I ended up giving Anthony a box and a bag of cookies. He had a "You shouldn't have made this much" kind of tone to his voice when I handed them to him.