Cookie Monsters

With both of my kids out of the house, there's probably not going to be a lot of cookie baking going on around here.  Don't get me wrong.  I would love for there to be a lot of cookie baking going on, but my waistline would not be quite so appreciative.  So I will have to reserve my cookie production to those times when one or both of the kids come home to visit.

All of this is not to say that I didn't get a last batch in before Kate left.  The key was that I didn't really want them left after she was gone, so they had to be really good.  In fact, they had to be so good that the cookie jar would be empty concurrent with Kate's departure to college.

The good news was that on our way up to Maine, we were stopping off for lunch and a visit at Ted's Aunt Ann's house in Cambridge, MA.  Me being me, I couldn't arrive empty handed so these cookies made their way northeast with us.

These cookies are a perfect example of finding recipes in the least likely places.  I found this recipe on Facebook.  Who knew that amongst all the nonsense that everyone posts on Facebook, there would be a recipe worth pursuing.

What made this recipe interesting to me was the inclusion of instant pudding mix in the batter.  Back in the day, my mother's signature cake was a "Like Miss Grace's Lemon Cake", which included lemon jello, I think.  Who knows?  I just remember there was a little box of something that was incorporated into the batter.  I also remember how delicious that cake was, and I attribute that deliciousness much more to the jello than to my mother's skill as a baker.

But back to the pudding in the cookie batter cookies.  I whipped up the cookies, pudding and all.  I fiddled with the recipe a bit by using milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet chips (either would be fine), and a little more vanilla because you really can never have too much vanilla.  And, while a little softer than my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe, they were quite good and definitely worth a try.

And while you're at it, if you still have cookie eaters at home, give my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe a try (see above).

Recipe:  Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars.  Mix on medium speed until they are light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, and then the pudding mix.

In a separate bowl, combine, the flour and baking soda and then add to the wet ingredients in the mixer,.  Do not over mix.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto a prepared baking sheet, nine to a sheet.  Bake for 9-10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.