Mom's chocolate chip cookies

There's nothing quite like the heavenly aroma of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies wafting through the house, enticing you with its creamy, chocolate chippy goodness. When my mother was in town, I couldn't resist asking for her recipe and walking me through the steps to ensure that I got it exactly right. I love her cookies, so why not go straight to the source?

Recipe

Makes 4 dozen cookies1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup white sugar1/2 cup butter1 egg1-1/2 cup sifted flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt2 tbsp hot water1/2 tsp vanilla7-oz chocolate chips1/2 cup chopped walnutsPreheat oven to 375 F. Cream butter and add sugars and beaten egg. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and mix alternately with flour sifted with the salt. Add in vanilla. Stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Place scoops of cookie dough on a greased baking sheet and press the mounds down with a floured fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Musings

I have always loved my mother's chocolate chip cookies, and this recipe did not disappoint. Its hot-out-of-the-oven, melt-in-your-mouth goodness was just as I remembered. The walnuts add a great crunch to the sweetness of the chocolate chip. My mother's tip was to use an ice scream scoop with a spring action release for easy dispensing of the cookie dough. My goodness was that ever helpful! I marveled at how easy and perfectly formed my cookies were. Definitely a recipe to tuck away for safe-keeping!