Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi, my name is Fran. And I am a bad neighbor.

A while ago I noticed that a house down the street exchanged hands and that a nice new family had moved inside. I made a note to take them a happy once they settled in. And for a while I have seen the lady of the new household walking her dog up and down the street. Every time we passed, I'd speak and make a note to take them a happy later this week. Later this week turned into this weekend, which turned into next week which was forgotten until I saw the lady and her precious pup once again on what is quickly becoming Wisteria Lane.

And the cycle would continue.

Finally last week the rain cut Dante's and my walk short and I firmly decided to use that time to do something good. To become a real person, ditch my awkward shyness, throw out all excuses, and march myself right up and introduce myself to that nice new neighbor lady.

But first I wanted to make some cookies.

It's funny how you can find the best recipes in the most unexpected places. This one is from the inside of a Land O Lakes Butter carton. But I absolutely love it.

Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) LAND O LAKES butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 12-ounce package real semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
• Add eggs and vanilla.
• Continue beating, scraping the bowl often, until well mixed.
• Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed.
• Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10-14 minutes or until light golden brown. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.)
• Let stand 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheets.
• Makes 26 jumbo cookies.

Warm cookies in hand, I did march myself right up to meet the lovely new neighbors. They are from Pennsylvania, and it turns out they have been here since August. AUGUST. August. Which means I'd been putting off a visit for half a year. So I suppose they aren't so new as neighbors anymore. How embarrassing.

But I'm so glad to know them now. The husband works down at the power plant with Mike, and they know each other, reaffirming my belief in Clinton's small-world-ness.

So now you know how to be a good neighbor AND how to make damn good chocolate chip cookies. I just love this patronizing ad from the 1950s. Betty who?

Cookie photo courtesy of ehow.