Olive oil (chocolate chip) cookies

These cookies are oh-so-good, chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges. We ate half of them before they even cool down...lol

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Makes 24 cookies

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the batter. Add the olive oil, vanilla, both sugars and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix until you have a smooth consistency. Next mix in the egg until it's completely smooth again. Add the flour and baking soda to the bowl and mix just until it's fully incorporated and you don't see any dry spots of flour. Fold in the chocolate chips if you are adding them.

Shape. Use your hands to shape the batter into balls, about 10 oz each. (Your hands will be greasy from the oil, but I find for this recipe, hands are best.) Add the shaped balls of dough to the parchment-lined baking sheets as you go. They should have at least 2-inches between them, about a dozen per sheet. Use the fingers to gently flatten the balls of batter, only about halfway.

Bake and cool. Place the baking sheets in the preheated 350°F oven until the cookies are golden brown along the edges, about 12 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack to come to room temperature or eat them while they are hot...:)