How I Developed a Sweet Tooth

It all began with World War ll. Dad was away in Germany and Mom and I were on our own. A friend of Mom's and her little boy moved in with us to share expenses. I was in kindergarten at the time. I've told about them bringing a toaster with them before, but that's the beginning of the story. After school...toast with cinnamon sugar on it for a treat. Some days just a bread and butter sandwich with sugar or brown sugar was waiting or a graham cracker. I don't remember having cookies at home in my younger years. I used to walk home with a little boy and he would invite me to come in to get a sugar cookie.... that his grandma had just baked. That happened many times...I hope that wasn't the only reason I walked home with him. He didn't have many friends...I felt sorry for him and walked with him most days....getting my reward when we got to his house. My mom didn't like to make cookies...though all her life she tried to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie.....or Toll House cookies as she called them. When I got older....that became my job in the kitchen. We always had cookies in the cookie jar then.Mom made pies and fudge. Edy's fudge was famous in those days.
As I grew older and married, I continued baking chocolate chips. My husband didn't like them as days went on and they got hard. I had to find a recipe that would stay soft. It wasn't until the 1970's that I found this recipe. A cookie that would stay soft until they were all gone. It tasted a little different than the originals, but no one noticed, but me. I recently found the recipe again...here it is.... These are excellent cookies and last a long time if the cookie monster doesn't find them :)

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rated: Submitted By: Debbi Borsick Photo By: Sir Psycho Sexy Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes Servings: 72

"Here's an Allrecipes classic and much-loved chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses instant pudding mix in the batter."

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:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2.	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.
3.	Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.