Cookie Crisis Averted

So today was my school’s staff retreat and I wanted to bring everybody some yummy treats to keep their spirits up and their bellies full. Since beer and wine weren’t allowed, I decided cookies would be a tasty alternative. I mean, homemade cookies were a great after-school snack when you were a kid…and this retreat was technically after school, right? I was all set to make the adaptation of the “America’s Test Kitchen Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies” found on Katie’s “Good Things Catered” blog. But when I got home, my Internet was down and I couldn’t get to her blog. YIKES! It’s the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! What was I to do?!? Still determined to provide my fellow teachers with chocolatey goodness, I knew I had to find an alternative. Thank goodness for Martha Stewart’s “Holiday Cookies” special issue from 2005. While Martha’s recipe wasn’t quite as good as Katie’s, it was close enough. These cookies were a big hit with the teachers.Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookiesadapted from Martha Stewart (as found in “Holiday Cookies” 2005)Makes about three dozen 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1 c. packed dark-brown sugar 1 tsp. coarse salt 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Whisk together flour and baking soda and set aside. 3. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes. 4. Reduce speed to low and add salt, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well blended, about one minute. 5. Mix in flour mixture until incorporated. 6. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.7. Place heaping tablespoons (I like to use a scooper to achieve a more uniform size) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Leave approx. two inches of space between cookies. 8. Bake until edges are golden but cookies are still soft, about twelve minutes. 9. Place cookie sheets on wire racks for two minutes, then transfer cookies on to racks to cool completely.