Kitchen Krazy: Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

After discovering these cookies from the baking blog Picky Palate, this is the only recipe I use when making chocolate chip cookies. The secret ingredient to making the perfect cookie? Instant pudding mix.

Every time I make these cookies, they're an instant hit. I've lost count of how many times I've made this cookie since I discovered it almost a year ago. I've even started experimenting with other pudding flavors. Pumpkin Pudding. Vanilla Pudding. Butterscotch Pudding. Next on my list? Banana Pudding. Mmmmm, can you imagine how yummy that would be?

This recipe is so simple and I can make it without even looking at the recipe anymore. The only bad thing about making these all of the time, is that I primarily make them while I'm at school. Lucky me, I don't have a mixer at school so I have to mix everything by hand. You never truly appreciate a mixer until you have to mix the butter by hand. But it's totally worth it for these cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies 
From Picky Palate
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 or 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips (or any kind of chip/candy)

Directions 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla, mixing to combine. Add your flower, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips, stirring to combine.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Note:
With the pudding mix, the dough comes out a little dry if you're mixing by hand. That being said, I've found it necessary to roll the dough by hand and not scoop with a cookie scoop in order to get the dough to stay in rounded balls. Don't worry if the dough is very dry, they still come out looking great and tasting delicious.