If your family is like mine, you just can’t have enough chocolate around the house. Is there anything better than a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven? Not much, in my opinion! This Chocolate Chip Cookie from the good folks at Hershey’s is easy and delicious. Even beginning bakers or the kids can turn out a good cookie with this recipe. The other cookie recipe is for Chocolate Pecan Cookies. What a perfect combination! I don’t know about you but that is two of my favorite things. Next time you have a yen for a good cookie, get out the flour, sugar, cookie sheets, etc and get busy. In a matter of minutes your house will smell wonderful and you’ll be taking some wonderful cookies out of your oven.

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on pan then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: Approximately 6 dozen cookies

To make bar cookies, prepare as above but spread dough into a greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN COOKIES

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
12 oz semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler over hot water. Heat, stirring often, until melted and well blended. Carefully pour into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, 1 at a time, mixing in well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Stir in pecans. Line cookie sheets with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto the cookie sheets about 2-inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes or until firm. Cool about one minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!