How to Share Homemade Kindness with a Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - No Baking Required!

Alright, so here's the deal. Who doesn't love a batch of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies, right? I've been in the cookie business for a while, and let me tell you, folks go crazy for baked treats! And I get it, you might be thinking, "But I'm no baking pro!" Well, guess what? You don't have to be one this time! Because we're not even going to turn on the oven! This super easy chocolate chip cookie recipe will show off your sweet side with hardly any effort on your part!

Yep! You read that correctly! We are going to whip up a batch of the most delicious cookie dough and set our friends up to take all the glory from their families! Now, if you want to- knock yourself out and go ahead and bake them!! But I'm giving you FULL permission to NOT bake them!

How did this come about?

This idea came about because I'm getting lazier as I get older. No, not really! Well...kind of! I spent YEARS making beautifully decorated cookies for others. When I closed up my home bakery business, I told myself that I would use my cookie talents to bless others. I would give cookies as gifts! Fast forward a few years since I closed the cookie business and I did/do give them as gifts...sometimes! Not nearly as often as I would like, but truthfully they take so. much. time. And it's not that my friends and family aren't WORTH my time! It's just that the hours those decorated cookies take are HOURS away from other aspects of my life that are ALSO worth my time!

I started trying out a few cookie recipes (not decorated ones) and realized, "Wow! Baking doesn't have to take hours!". My family RAVED about my chocolate chip cookies, but even though they are simple, I don't always have enough time to make them right when they want them. That's when I started playing around with freezing them! Freezing these little balls of heaven meant that after dinner we could take out one for each member of the family and pop them in the oven! Bam! Hot, fresh chocolate chip cookies! So easy that even my kids can do it on their own!

Gifting This Goodness

Are you ready to make your family and friends smile? So here's what we're going to do! We're going to get all of the ingredients (hang on, recipe is coming!), mix up the dough, and then use a cookie scoop to make evenly sized balls of dough. I use rubbermaid takealong containers and freeze the dough balls in layers (between parchment or wax paper)! I've even created a label for you to put on the top of the container! You can stock your freezer with a few of these containers and then you will be ready to go when a friend needs a pick me up! You can either bake and gift them OR I promise they will be thrilled to get a box of frozen dough that their families can enjoy over the next few weeks! There's just something about a hot, fresh, chocolate chip cookie!

So here's what you've been waiting for! The recipe!!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup shortening

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

STEPS

1) In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips (dough will be sticky). Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. This step isn't completely necessary if you're planning to freeze them, but it definitely makes creating the dough balls easier, so I wouldn't skip it.

2) IF YOU'RE BAKING- Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

IF YOU'RE FREEZING- Use a cookie scoop to make evenly sized balls. Make layers of dough balls (wax or parchment paper in between each).

Instructions for baking after frozen

When you're ready for some hot, heavenly goodness... simply take out the desired number of cookies and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Oven times may vary but even though they're frozen, it shouldn't add much time (maybe a minute!) to how long you would normally bake them! I've put together some cute labels for you to print and add to the top of your container!

Grab those here!*

*These labels are size 2 x 4 and were created with Avery Template Number 5163 which is 8.5 x 11 with 10 to a page.

You could also print them on plain paper and tape to the top of your container.

I trust you will LOVE this recipe and hope you will find that this sweet gesture could brighten the day of a friend facing challenges or celebrating a new addition to their family. It's a small effort with the potential to bring immense joy!