The Search Continues: Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend I decided to try out another chocolate chip cookie recipe.  These cookies were good, big step up from the recipe I shared last week. This week I tried out a recipe from Averie Cooks.  Their recipe for "The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie."

Here's my slightly adapted recipe from Averie Cooks:
(I changed the salt and chocolate chips).

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 C. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter and the sugars.  Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Then mix in the flour.  I always mix in 1 cup at a time.  Next, add the vanilla pudding mix.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into large balls, then flatten.  Refrigerate for at least two hours.  Then pull out the chilled dough and bake at 350 for about 11 minutes.  

Here are my thoughts about the cookies:

     *The cookies are soft, but I definitely wouldn't call them chewy.

     *The cookies  have a nice flavor.  I was afraid between the vanilla pudding mix and the vanilla extract that the cookies would be too vanilla-y.  Also, I am VERY glad that I put in my usual 1 tsp. of salt, instead of the pinch of salt recommended by Averie Cooks.  

     *I find it inconvenient to have to refrigerate chocolate chip cookie dough- it's not like the cookies get rolled.

     *The cookies have a short shelf life.  I made the cookies Saturday morning, now Monday morning, the cookies are no longer very soft.

     *Adding pudding mix to your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, seems annoying.  I wasn't so sure of the purpose of using it.  I found on Seasoned Advice that the purpose is like cornstarch- to help soften your cookies.  I'd prefer to add cornstarch, instead of buying instant pudding mix for my cookies.  

     *The depth of the cookies were nice and noted by Pat and a dear friend.  

I'll try out a few more recipes, but I think I am going to end up making some minor tweaks to my current go-to recipe.