The Secret Ingredient to the Best Half-Baked, Gooey-Centered, Chocolate-Lover-Cookies Ever!!

Is it really even summer if you haven’t baked chocolate chip cookies?

Sharing the secret ingredient to the best half-baked, gooey-centered, chocolate-lover-cookies ever!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

One 3.5 oz packet instant vanilla pudding mix (secret ingredient - makes all the difference!)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

One 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Combine softened butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until creamed.

Add flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt, and beat at low speed until just combined.

Using a large scoop, measure 1/4 cup mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten ever so slightly. (Should make 14 dough balls.)

Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (You can also freeze dough and bake later, but that never happens at our house.) Do not bake un-chilled dough!

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake for 11 minutes until edges have set - still “glossy” in center is good. Don’t over bake. Cookies will firm as they cool, but will maintain their soft centers.

If you’ve made it this far without eating all the dough, you’ve already succeeded!