Before I became a mom, one thing I always imagined was baking the perfect chocolate chip cookies for my family. I had this vision of my kids lined up on bar stools at our kitchen counter with glasses of milk and picture-perfect cookies. Now that I am a mom, that picture-perfect vision is not quite our reality. Usually, my daughter is spreading cookie crumbs through the kitchen like wildfire. Even so, it is safe to say I have 3 solid chocolate chip cookie recipes that my family truly enjoys.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody needs a perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in their arsenal, and this one is amazing! I made them for a friend after she had her last baby, and now her husband jokes that I am not allowed over unless I have these cookies in hand.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 8 oz. block of cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 ts baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 12 oz bag chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet)

Steps:

1. Cream butter, cream cheese and both sugars together.
2. Mix in salt and baking soda.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. Add in flour slowly a little at a time until well combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Roll into one-inch balls and pat flat onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
   Note: They will start to brown when they are finished cooking.  The middle might appear slightly gooey in the middle but will firm up as they cool.

Though the addition of cream cheese isn’t really standard to a chocolate chip cookie recipe, it makes them soft and chewy, and that classic flavor is still intact.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to pretend that since these have oatmeal in them, they are automatically healthy.  Ignore the butter and sugar content, and you can pretend too!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Cream butter and both sugars together.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
3. Add salt and baking soda and mix until smooth.
4. Add oats and flour both a little at a time and mix until well combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Drop dough in one-inch balls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.

If you aren’t feeling the chocolate chips, you can substitute raisins, peanut butter chips, or nuts. It’s a very versatile recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because summer is officially over in my brain, I have already baked up a couple batches of these delicious cookies. The pumpkin makes them pillowy soft, almost like muffin tops. To me they just scream fall!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Steps:

1. Combine pumpkin, egg, butter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat well.
2. Stir in vanilla and milk.
3. Gradually stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour, mixing well after each addition until well combined.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet with large spoon or ice cream scoop. Note This dough is a very wet dough. Leave plenty of room between cookies for dough to spread.
6. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

These pair well with leggings, scarves, boots and a cup of coffee!

I hope that these recipes bring plenty of smiles and laughter around your kitchen counter as they have ours. They may not be picture perfect, but they sure taste great; you might not even mind the crumbs!