The versatile cookie recipe you cannot live without.
True story, friends. My wedding gift to my dear sister and brother-in-law was the cookies for their reception cookie table. That may not sound like the most generous present, but c’mon Pittsburgh folks! You know how important that is! It is serious business here in the ‘Burgh to have a respectable cookie offering for the wedding guests. We sampled recipes for months, I developed my formula for the correct cookie-to-guest ratio, and I set to work. In the end, the reception site actually dedicated an entire room to the cookie display. I cannot, however, take all the credit. I was not the only baker for sure. But I confess that by the time I was done, I had filled not only both the freezers in my own home, but also commissioned the use of freezers in three other homes plus an office. So you get the picture–baking is my bliss. It is also how I show the people I love how much I love them. (Turns out, I love my sister A LOT.) I tell you this so you will understand that cookies are serious business for me.
Not every baking project is for something as grand as a wedding. If I just need to have some kitchen time to recenter myself (or ship some cookies to starving, marching band college students), I reach for the recipes I’ve made thousands of times. The Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookie recipe I’m sharing today tops my list of favorites because you can customize it ANY way you like, and I have NEVER had a batch not turn out. Literally. The flavor combinations you choose will only be limited by the flavors of baking chips and pudding you can find. The dough for this recipe is a bit stiff, so I highly recommend using a stand mixer if you have one so you don’t overwork the motor on your handheld mixer. My favorite is the classic KitchenAid mixer my daughter bought me. It is truly one of the tools my baking self cannot live without.
This Pudding Cookie recipe started out as an easy way to make chocolate chip cookies that always turned out soft and chewy. Eventually, it evolved into a staple for the holidays and bake sales and those starving college kids I mentioned. Just by changing the pudding flavor and substituting a creative add-in for regular chocolate chips it really feels like you’ve used a whole new recipe. It also helps that the different flavors of pudding change the texture of the cookies just enough to make them all distinct. Perennial favorites here have been the butterscotch pudding with butterscotch chips and the York Peppermint Patty pudding with mint chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
(Ingredients)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 package (4 serving size) instant pudding, any flavor
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package baking chips (any flavor)
Nuts, coconut, raisins, etc. (optional)
(Instructions) Preheat oven to 375°. Mix flour with baking soda. Combine butter, sugars, pudding mix, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chips. (Batter will be stiff.) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden and cookies are set. Leave on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Another bonus for this indispensable recipe is that the cookies can stay soft and fresh for a long time. If stored in an airtight container, you may find yourself enjoying these treats for up to two weeks! Here are a few ideas for some great containers to help you enjoy your cookies for as long as possible:
A recent combo that was a real hit with my family was vanilla pudding with dark chocolate chunks and flaked coconut. We’re all Mounds fans so it was bound to be a favorite. Let your imagination run wild with this recipe, and please share your delectable flavor pairings with us! We’d love to pass on all your ingenious combinations for all our Relishers to enjoy!
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