Yia Yia's Secrets REVEALED!

My grandmother has maintained for many years that her world-famous (well, at least in northeast Pennsylvania) chocolate chip cookie recipe is simply the recipe on the back of the Nestle's morsels bag, the only difference being that she mixes the dough more thoroughly. Or, in her words, "It's like making Greek pastries. Greek pastries are not some wham-bam affair."

So recently we made cookies together and yes, we DID in fact use the recipe on the back of the bag. I have posted Nestle's recipe here below (thanks Nestle). Please note Yia Yia's footnotes and parentheticals for best results:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. flour*
1 tsp. baking soda**
1 tsp. salt***
3/4 c. white sugar****
3/4 c. packed brown sugar^
2 eggs
1 c. butter or margarine^^
1 tsp. vanilla extract^^^
1 16 oz. bag of Nestle's morsels^*^



*Actually just add it until it feels right and you can make a ball.
**Baking powder
***Make it a half teaspoon
****More like 1 c.
^Slightly less than 1 c. Dark brown sugar.
^^Has to be Blue Bonnet
^^^Vanilla flavoring
^*^And whatever you have left over in the cabinet.

PREHEAT oven to 375 F. (But then once the cookies are in you put it down to 350.)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. (According to Yia Yia, "When I was young, I sifted.") Beat butter (Blue Bonnet), granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. (Actually, beat just the Blue Bonnet until IT is creamy FIRST. This should take 20-30 minutes AT LEAST. Then add sugars and vanilla, and beat that for awhile. To save time, throw in a load of laundry while it's beating.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Just keep beating. Consider roasting a leg of lamb while it's beating.) Gradually beat in flour mixture. (Or mix it in by hand, until you can make a ball.) Stir in morsels and nuts. (Make sure to coat the chocolate chips with flour first.) Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. (12 minutes) Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!