Recipe: Chelsea's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jan. 29, 2007 — -- From Walter Scheib, fomer White House chef: Chelsea and her friends would make these cookies during their White House get-togethers and slumber parties, starting the year I got there, when she was fourteen. When I got the call from Chelsea (or the word from a butler) that she and her friends were in a cookie-making mood, I'd assemble the ingredients and hand-write the basic method, sending it all upstairs with a butler.

This recipe is adapted from one from the legendary Fannie Farmer Cookbook, but I omitted the nuts and added more chocolate chips. The cookies are soft and chewy right out of the oven, then firm up a bit, but don't turn brittle.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

3. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together, add to the mixture, and blend well, then stir in the chips.

4. Place the dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto the cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.

5. Bake until lightly golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool briefly in the pans, and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 24 cookies.