Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I should probably have called these "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever" or "My Favorite Cookie" because these really are that good....really!

What makes them so good? The fact that they taste like the perfect chocolate chip cookie and they are SOFT! What makes them soft? The surprise ingredient is vanilla pudding. Most CCC recipes will produce cookies that might be soft just after baking, but after a few hours they will become crispy. These stay soft not only for hours but also till the next day (remember to keep in a sealed Tupperware container to keep fresh like any other cookies though). I'm sure they would stay soft for a few days, but these didn't last that long in my house :)


I have to share with you my "behind the scenes" look at how I got the above photos. The day I baked these it was very rainy and cloudy. There was very little natural light shining through the window. I had to try and get them as close to the window as possible if I wanted a decent shot. So, while one would assume from the pictures above the cookies are sitting on a table, they are actually on top of my kids chair and a dinning room chair. I have a feeling I'll be using this set-up a lot more as it continues to get darker out.



Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

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.

Source: AllRecipes.com