One thing I miss here in Norway is my mom’s homemade cookies. She makes them for everyone, the neighbors, her coworkers, friends and family. It is like she is always making a new batch for someone else. But who would ever complain about having a dangerously steady supply of cookie dough in the house? Not me :)

Now I consider her chocolate chip cookies one of my favorite family recipes (okay, it might actually just be the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag, but to me it is a cherished family recipe:). Because ever since I can remember, I can remember my mom making them and always letting me do the mixing part. Sometimes (especially when I was younger) when it got to the part where you put the flour in and mix it with a mixer it was too hard to hold on to the mixer for me and I hated that I could not do “my part” of making the cookies (actually my official job has always licking the beaters :).

Here is my mom’s recipe:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
One thing that would have made my job as the mixer would have been if we had a Hamilton Beach® Mixer. Why? Because a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer would have solved my problem of not being able to hold the mixer when we added the flour. With its 12 settings and 400 watts of power, I’m sure I could have easily done my job as a mixer (by pressing the buttons!).

Hmmm…maybe I should think about getting my mom a new Eclectrics® Mixer for Christmas this year.