When it comes to baking, my skills pale in comparison to my sister Meghan’s.  She makes wonderful cookies, pies and pastries, all of which call for exact measurements and temperatures.  On the other hand, I love baking tarts and sweet breads that tend to be a little more forgiving when it comes to preciseness.  I think my sister’s and my differing abilities mirror our personalities – she is better at planning and organizing, while I tend to be a little less focused on perfection.

Regardless, I am always working on creating my own perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.  They are such a tasty and indulgent homemade treat, so I’m constantly adjusting and fine tuning recipes in hopes of creating one that’s just right for my tastes.  And, I think I may have found it! Granted, I’m always working on improving (both cookie recipes and myself!), so maybe in a few months I’ll be posting another new and improved version!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I much prefer using homemade vanilla extract)

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 1/4 cups Nestle chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine butter , brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large mixing bowl.  Beat at medium speed until well blended.  Beat in egg.  In a smaller bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.  Dump flour mixture into into butter mixture and beat until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.   Drop dough by teaspoon full onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and bang the cookie sheet on the counter top once or twice the flatten the cookies. Leave cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.