Chocolate Chippers (or Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Chocolate Chippers is the name of the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in my mother's 7th edition Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. This is the first recipe I learned to make from scratch and is the basis for my Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies.  

This makes about 24 - 36 cookies depending upon how big your rounded teaspoons are.   If the butter is melted, not softened, the cookies will spread and flatten during baking resulting in a thinner, crispier cookie. 

½ cup butter 

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup flour 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) 

½ cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans 

Place oven rack on middle run setting. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. 

In medium to large microwave safe bowl soften butter to make batter easier to mix. 

Stir in sugars, egg and vanilla extract by hand lightly until combined. 

Stir in flour and baking powder until well blended. 

Add chocolate chips and nuts (if using) and gently mix until incorporated in batter (about 10 – 25 strokes if mixing by hand). 

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until edges of cookies start to brown. 

Remove from pan immediately to cooling rack. 

Cool completely before serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container.