One of my best friend’s mother bakes an unforgettable chocolate chip cookie. They’re puffy, cakey, soft and irresistibly good. My friend and I attempted to recreate her recipe during the holidays, but somehow our batch wasn’t the same. We traded playful accusations—my oven vs. her technique—but never identified the cause.
A few months and many experiments later, I tried a different recipe that comes much closer. It shares most of the same ingredients as the original, but uses butter instead of margarine and has slightly different measurements. The key common element is instant vanilla pudding mix in its powdered form. I can’t fully explain what the pudding does, but it transforms the cookie—adding an appealing texture and subtle flavor that combine into something special. These cookies are close to what I remember, though I’m still chasing cookie perfection.
Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chippers
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (or one and a half if you prefer a milder pudding presence)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Whisk together the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Gradually blend the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and, if using, the chopped walnuts. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them to allow for spreading.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.