Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Note: Dark Chocolate cookies are made from a recipe on the back of the Nestles Peanut butter Morsels bag-YUM!)

My son Griffin James

I know I haven't posted in a while. I deeply apologize for that but it's just further proof that I am far from super-mom. I'm a full-time working mama going through the same struggles as every other parent while desperately trying to give my son the happiest life possible. Sadly, that doesn't leave a heck of a lotta time for blogging but I couldn't leave ya hanging during the holidays. To show you just how much I love y'all (said with my very Brooklyn NY accent), I am giving you my TOP SECRET, took 6 years to develop, Perfect (in my eyes) Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Don't say I never gave ya anything, kay?

In my book, holidays and tradition go hand in hand. And like most people, tradition becomes even more important after you have children. Bridging traditions from our own childhood with the new ones we create with our own children is part of the fun! This past year I have been driving myself batty trying to make every occasion as special and as memorable as possible for my son. And get this, he is only 16 months old!!!! Exactly what portion of the past 16 months do I think he will actually remember? LOL. It doesn't matter because this past year has been a way for me to try new things. Plus, what he doesn't remember he will be able to see in the 6 million pictures my husband says I take-HA! It's been a blast starting our own Salerno family traditions like leaving cookies out for Santa. I never did that as a child, but me being the dessert-crazed nut that I am, it's just one more excuse to bake (and eat) more cookies!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

P.S. For all of you who missed my Cookie Swap this year due to the weather or whatever else ya had going on, this is what you missed!!!!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields approx 17 LARGE cookies

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk
1 bag chocolate chips

1)- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2)-Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Add egg, then the yolk. Beat well. Stir in dry ingredients, then fold in chocolate chips until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough until firm. At least 30 minutes.

3)-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4)-Drop 1/4 cup sized mounds of dough onto a silpat or parchment baking sheet.

5)-Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or only until the edges begin to turn golden. (They will seem underdone but they aren't) Cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes and remove with a spatula to a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly and enjoy!

SAVE TIME! Make the dough ahead of time and freeze it.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Simply drop as many cookies as you can onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet. Place entire cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight. Cookie dough should be as hard as rocks. Remove dough from cookie sheet and place into ziplock freezer bags or any airtight container.

TO BAKE AFTER FROZEN: Preheat your oven according to your particular recipe. Place frozen cookie dough balls onto a parchment or silpat line baking sheet and allow to thaw for 15-20 minutes. Bake according to your recipe. If you are impatient like me, you can also place the frozen cookie balls straight into the oven but your cookies will take longer to bake and you run the risk of having burnt outsides and mushy middles if you aren't careful.

BLOG SHOUT-OUT: Mama minds think alike. Check out my girl Stacie's FAB cookie recipes at Chowmama.