Tis the season... for cookies!

In my house, the holidays mean an endless supply of cookies. I'll admit, I've been slacking a little on the cookies this year becuase, you know, life. But hopefully the 4 batches of my (mom's) famous chocolate chip cookies that I just made will make up for that!

Last night I asked my boyfriend if he'd rather have sex or wait for me to make cookies. I'll let you guess which he chose.

If you know me, you probably know about my mom's oft-requested chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's become my trademark in my circle of friends, but family members know that all the credit goes to my mom. She spent years perfecting this recipe - trying out different ingredients, different brands and different measurements. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying them, let me paint you a picture: soft on the inside, velvety texture with a teensy bit of crunch, sweet but not overpowering. They're basically crack. Last night I asked my boyfriend if he'd rather have sex or wait for me to make cookies. I'll let you guess which he chose.

Now I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news first: I'm not giving away the recipe. I know, I know. Sorry! But the good news is that I'm going to give you a few of the best tips my mom has passed down to me, so that you too can make the most delicious cookies ever!

#1: Don't use an electric mixer

Beleive it or not, I don't even own an electric hand mixer. I know, it saves so much time and elbow grease. But when you beat the dough that quickly and thoroughly, it becomes so smooth and almost liquified that it falls flat in the oven. The result: flat, hard cookies. Womp womp.

My mom is a big fan of the good old-fashioned wooden spoon. But if you ain't got time for that, you can always use a whisk! Just remember: mix the dough until everything is combined (i.e. there aren't huge butter lumps) but don't over mix.

#2: Use good quality ingredients

This may seem obvious to some, but the quality of the ingredients really does play a big factor in how well your cookies come out. For things like baking powder, salt and sugar, I use the good old-fashioned name brands like Arm & Hammer and Morton's. But for some things, only the best will do! As a San Francisco native, I'm partial to Ghiradelli or Guittard when it comes to chocolate chips. I'm a semi-sweet girl myself, but my mom also likes to use bittersweet chocolate. She's also a big fan of King Arthur flour. As she likes to say, "It makes all the difference."

#3: Refrigerate the dough

Before you bake the dough, pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. I sometimes make dough at night and then bake the cookies the next day. It's easier to work with when it's cold, but more importantly, the cookies will retain some shape and are less likely to fall flat in the oven.

Do you have any good baking tips? Recipes you'd like to share? Drop a comment below!