Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I spent the weekend going through my food magazines pulling out recipes I thought might be good for the family and in my search I found this recipe that claims they are the ultimate chocolate chip cookies.  Faruq and Hayden love chocolate chip cookies so I figured I would give it a try.  Considering I baked them the other day and are almost half gone I would think they were a pretty big hit.

What you will need :

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla  extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

How to make them:

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar on med-high until light and fluffy, 6 minutes.  Reduce speed to med-low and beat eggs, one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Mix in flour mixture  just until incorporated; fold in chocolate chips and chunks.
3. Use a medium melon baller (or tablespoon) (The original recipe called for a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or large spoon but personally I think those are just too big for cookies), drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for one hour.  With the medium melon baller I got 50 cookies but use what they suggest & you will get 24.
4. Arrange 8 unbaked cookies , 3 inches apart, on each of two parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake until edges are light golden brown, 14 to 15 minutes, rotating  sheets halfway through.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.  Continue baking until all cookies are baked.

Note: You can also add 2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans if you wish.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Foods)