The Ultimate Cookie Recipe

MMMmmm...Chocolate Chip Cookies = my favorite thing ever! I sought out a perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, and came up with (what I think is) the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe! As far as cookies go, I consider myself an expert...second only to my father:). There are many different preferences when it comes to cookies. Some like crispy, some like chewy, some like cakey. Personally, I like soft & chewy with lots-o-chips. I searched the net for 'ultimate cookie' recipes and combined three different finds (1 from Food Network's Giada de Laurentiis, 2 from fellow bloggers). After these turned out so well, I'm never going to buy pre-made cookie dough again.

Here is what I came up with:
This cookie is soft and chewy and it contains dark chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, and oats. From Alton Brown's advice, I used 1 whole egg and 1 yolk, as he says egg whites lead to a more dry cookie. I added some nuts and oats from Giada's recipe (although she used hazelnuts) and opted to use Hershey's special dark chocolate chips because of my own preference. Next time I would like to try chopped dark chocolate.
Ingredients:

• 3/4 c butter, soft
• 3/4 c sugar
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 c quick oats
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 c toasted, chopped walnuts
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325degrees. Toast walnuts for a few minutes on baking sheet, then chop.
Meanwhile, cream sugars and butter with mixer in large bowl. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla; mix.
In seperate bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
Add half of flour mix to wet mixture. Mix. Add remaining half of flour mixture. Mix.
Fold in chips and nuts.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls on to parchment paper lined cookie sheets or sheets sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake @ 325 degrees for 14-17 minutes or to desired doneness.
*Also, can roll dough into logs and freeze to have cookie dough ready whenever it strikes you:)

Here are some alterations to form YOUR ultimate cookie:

Peanut Butter:
Add 1 cup peanut butter to butter and sugars. Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Decrease salt by half.

Hazelnut + Toffee chip:

This is more similar to Giada's recipe. Add 3/4 c chopped, toasted hazelnuts instead of walnuts. Add 4 oz chopped chocolate-toffee bar(like Heath). Only use 3/4 bag of chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Raisin:

Decrease flour to 1 1/3 c. Increase quick oats to 1 cup. Add 1 cup raisins to chocolate chips. (or can eliminate chocolate all together and increase raisins). Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon-optional.