Like Mother, Like Daughter

In case any of you were wondering where I got my sweet tooth, wonder no more, it was my mother! I can't say as a kid we had a dessert every night after dinner but I certainly remember having our fair share. Early in my pregnancy there was a brief period of time that sweets just did not appeal to me. I was thrilled since I'd be saving those calories but my mom was devastated! Her partner in crime was no more. Never fear, the sweet tooth returned with a vengeance and now my night is not complete without my sweet treat!

My mom was looking for a soft chocolate chip cookie recipe the other day and of course she turned to my enormous collection of online recipes. I had been eyeing this one for a while and had recently read a post from someone who swore by a very similar recipe. The secret ingredient is instant pudding mix and they were great! I think I liked them more than Wes but that's not surprising because he doesn't like anything I do - I think it's out of spite but that's a story for another day. So without further ado, here's the recipe:

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

courtesy of Recipe for Success

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Makes 3 dozen.