The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... In the World

Seriously.  If you were at Krystal's baby shower, I think you will agree.  This recipe is from a blog that I follow (hereistherecipe.blogspot.com) and this lady has been on a quest to find the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and has spent years tweaking it.  I think she did it.  2 notes on this recipe.  First, it's good to remember that while cooking is spontaneous and inventive, baking is not- it is meant to be an exact science so follow the recipe, dang it! Second, don't try it if you are contemplating a diet- there's a lot of butter in it. And other yummy non-diet friendly stuff.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup, 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs. Ghirardelli chocolate chips (half milk, half dark)

Instructions:
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until just blended.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Mix in vanilla.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Now here is the secret to what makes these cookies so good (aside from the butter and the Ghirardelli).  Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (I just use a 1/4 measuring cup) to form dough into balls.  Yeah, they will look huge.  Don't be intimidated.  Freeze the dough (good up to 1 month) and bake the cookies as you want them at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes.  It's brilliant- you can always have a warm, gooey cookie.  Plus, it keeps the cookies nice and fluffy.

Enjoy!