Chewy Chocolate Cookies

CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Your favorite cookie!  I wish these kept better, but they don’t have to since they are usually eaten before they have even cooled.  They are nice to have in the freezer to pull out as needed since they thaw quickly and even taste great frozen.

1-1/4 c butter, softened                                   
¾ c cocoa

2 c sugar                                                         
1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs                                                             
½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla                                                     
1 c nuts or 1 c mint chips, optional

2 c flour

In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add combined flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and blend well.  Stir in nuts or chips, if desired.  Bake at 350° for 8-9 minutes.  Cookies will puff during baking and flatten upon cooling.  Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute before transferring to wire rack.  About 4 dozen.

NOTE: These cookies do not keep well.  They are best the day of baking, but they freeze very well.  Enjoy them right out of the freezer.

Variation:  Freeze cookies on cookie sheet when cooled, but don’t stack or they will stick together.  Soften some vanilla, coffee, or favorite flavor ice cream; the kind packaged in rectangular packages will slice more easily.  Cut ice cream into ½-inch slices, then cut each slice in half.  Place one cookie face-side down on a cookie sheet; top with a half slice of ice cream.  Top ice cream layer with another cookie, face-side up.  Wrap snugly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm.  Place frozen, wrapped cookie sandwiches in zip-type freezer bag.  You may drizzle melted semi-sweet, white, or other chip on top of assembled sandwiches before freezing to dress them up a bit.  If you like, you may sprinkle colored chocolate sprinkles on the drizzled chocolate before it sets up.