My comptroller in Hawaii, Glenda Beaseley, gave me this recipe. I once spent a month tweaking this recipe (and only made one small change). This is everything a chocolate chip cookie should be. Several teachers and parents that I ran into years later have told me they remember this cookie. Make sure you use a large ice-cream scoop. Smaller version of this cookie does not do it justice.

4/3 cup unsalted butter (cold) 3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon (+ slightly more) soda

1 cup brown sugar (packed) 1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs 1 cup chopped nuts

2 tablespoons vanilla 1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375º. Mix thoroughly butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. (I tend to then chill the dough for an hour or more before baking, if time allows.) Drop dough by ice-cream scoop 2 inches apart onto ungreased, shinny insulated baking sheet (parchment paper works well). Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light brown.

Secret Tips:

1. The flour makes the cookie softer. If the weather is very damp, use more flour. If very dry, use less flour.

2. The type and color of the cookie sheets determines whether the cookie stays ball-shaped or flattens out. Experiment to find your preference.

3. Immediately after removing from oven, remove from cookie sheets onto absorbent paper. I use brown grocery paper sacks (cookies might stick to paper towels). Lots of grease will be left on the paper, so the cookies taste fresher longer.