Nutty or Nice Chocolate Chip Cookies

We like our chocolate chip cookies with a crisp crinkly top and a delightfully chewy center - perfection! I do include the guidelines for anyone who demands a perfectly chewy or completely crisp version as well. MAKE AHEAD: The cookies can be stored between sheets of wax paper in a container with tight fitting lid for up to 2 days.

• Ready In: 26 mins
• Yields: 3 1/2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour, for regular cookies or 2  cups self rising flour, for thicker cookies as in my photo
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1  cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 2  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 12  ounces  semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
• 3⁄4 cup  coarsely chopped walnuts (optional) or 3⁄4 cup pecans, lightly toasted (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and place racks on middle and lower third tracks.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour with baking soda and salt. If you are using self-rising flour you can skip this step, you wont need the salt or soda.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter at medium speed until creamy with a handheld electric mixer. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Lower speed and beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Place heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough at least 1 1/2" apart on 2 baking sheets and bake for about 11 minutes for soft and chewy cookies, about 13 minutes for chewy cookies or about 16 minutes for crisp cookies.
5. Leave cookies to cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving them to wire racks.