Once in a while, just once in a while, you have to have a cookie.  A warm, straight from the oven, crunchy on the edges, soft-in-the-middle, tasting of butterscotch and vanilla, chocolate chip cookie.  Especially if you have two boys who mostly eat very good things, that suddenly start expressing desires for vending machine chocolate chip cookies and packaged cookies in the grocery store.

The better way, I figure, is just to make the cookies ourselves.  With my two eager helpers and a quick, easy, excellent recipe from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery featured in the most recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  These cookies, that fill your mouth with buttery toffee and vanilla-chocolate flavors, are like no other.

Chocolate chip cookies

Makes about 2-3 dozen depending on size of cookies

adapted from Jim Lahey, in Bon Appetit, March 2012

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of over, preheat to 425F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.  Keep aside.

3. Beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low-medium speed until creamy, about 2-3 min.  Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4.  Gently fold in dry mixture with a spatula.  Fold in chocolate chips.

5.  Spoon tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets spacing about 1-2 inches apart.

6.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through until edges are golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.  Don’t over-bake, else cookies will get too crunchy.

7.  Cool and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container.  Note: the cookie dough keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.