Super Moist Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I still haven't found mine... until today. I have made dozens of variations of chocolate chip cookies searching for a thicker, moist, chewy cookie that will stay chewy after a day or two.  Either they are too flat, not chewy enough, or just not "perfect."  I love how they all taste, and am happy to make/eat them, don't get me wrong...but I wasn't in love.

Then I found a recipe that used instant pudding.  Of course, why didn't I think of that?!  I use instant puddings in cakes to keep them moist for days, why not cookies?  I tweaked the recipe a bit and came up with a few variations.   De---lish.   People are definitely getting some of these in my annual Holiday Food Baskets.

Makes about 4 dozen

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2  eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2-1/4 cups  flour
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Beat butter, sugars, dry pudding mix and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended.
3. Add eggs and baking soda; mix well. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in chocolate.
4. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. Press down a little as they do not spread out at all!  They only puff higher.
5. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown.
6. Cool 3 min. on baking sheets.
7. Remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Variations: Use chocolate pudding mix and/or mini peanut butter cups, chocolate pudding/raspberry chips, butterscotch pudding/cinnamon chips, vanilla pudding/Xmas colored chocolate chips or M&Ms

Also...unbaked blobs of dough freeze very well.  Freeze on a sheet pan, then pluck them off and store them in a freezer bag for months.  Cookies bake even better frozen, just add a few minutes onto the cooking time.