Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Secret Ingredient

Penzey's is a chain store that sells fine spices and extracts. There's one in every major city, but pretty much that's it. We're lucky enough to have one here, and it's a really great place to find 4 types of cinnamon and buy it in bulk, or vanilla so strong you actually taste it when you put it in baked goods.

They put out a catalog every season, and there are several recipes strewn throughout the listings of spices, including the cookie I bring to you today.

The funny thing about this cookie recipe is that without the secret ingredient, it's basically the Toll-House chocolate chip cookie recipe, verbatim. But just adding this one thing takes it to a whole different level.

And the secret ingredient is: a box of vanilla pudding mix! It makes these cookies have that catering/store-bought, soft, chewy cookie texture that you just don't usually get at home. Guilty pleasures......


Wynonia Moss's Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Penzey's Spices Harvest 2009 Catalog)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 small box (3.4 oz or so) vanilla flavored instant pudding mix
1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts, optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture slowly until just combined. Add pudding mix, chocolate chips, and nuts (if using) into the batter and mix until well combined. Drop onto greased cookie sheets using rounded tablespoons or small ice cream scoops.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, depending on how big your cookies are.

Makes 3-4 dozen.