Chocolate Treasure Cookies

I got this recipe from Joe's aunt Karen, and I can honestly say that these are the most amazing chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten. Everyone always says that you aren't supposed to eat the raw cookie dough, but half the time I can't help myself because its so good. By the end of the holiday season, I have usually made these cookies over half a dozen times--its amazing. Lets get started!

Ingredients:
3 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of butter, softened

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups of Ghirardelli chocolate chips

1 cup of chopped walnuts, optional (I've made this recipe both with and without the walnuts; its amazing regardless of what you choose)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat until creamy--about 5 minutes on medium speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well mixed. 

In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and on slow speed, mix just until blended. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts just until blended. 

Use a Tablespoon scoop and drop on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 7-9 minutes or until edges start turning golden brown. 

Yields 5 dozen cookies (perfect to hand out for a school party or the holidays!). You can freeze these in gallon freezer bags for up to 3 months. 

Enjoy!