Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the WWW (whole wide world, that is)

The other day Smarty Pants and I made some of the best, soft, chocolate chip cookies that I've ever had.  I come from a crunchy cookie family, so I wasn't sure if the "soft" cookie would be for me.  Let's just say that if these cookies had a theme song, it'd go something like this--  "There's a party in my tummy. So yummy! So yummy!"  Sorry, Yo Gabba Gabba is getting to me.

Smarty Pants tries out the new Learning Tower that the boys got from Grandma Tee for Christmas...

Happy Vee, our trusted taste tester, is serious about his food.  I think these cookies put him in a chocolate & sugar induced food coma...

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Recipe, you ask?  Why sure, here it is:

For 3 Dozen Yummy, Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs, whisked
1 T. vanilla extract

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup white choc./1 cup semi sweet)
1 1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional, of course.  I used sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or macadamia nut would be good too)

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a med. bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt and set aside
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar & white sugar
4. Beat in instant pudding mix until blended
5. Stir in whisked eggs and vanilla
6. Blend in flour mixture
7. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts
8. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  The cookie won't spread much, so you can fit at least 12 on a pan.**
9. Bake 9-12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until edges are a golden brown
10. Cool on a baking rack, wait 2 minutes, and enjoy!

**tip:  If reusing a hot pan, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before putting another batch of dough in the oven.  Trust me, you don't want to burn ANY! You can speed up the process by letting it sit in cool water.

Closer you ask?

C'mon, lean in a little... they smell lovely!