Bags Of Cookies Recipe

Prepare oven and pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.

Add egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined, about 30 seconds and scrape down the bowl as needed.

Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.

Mix dry into wet: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix; stop when there are no visible streaks of flour.

Fold in chocolate chips: Using a spatula, fold in the semisweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed through the dough.

Portion cookies: Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (about 1-inch diameter) or a heaping tablespoon, portion dough into 24 equal mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. For uniform bags, you can make 8 cookies per bag (see Packaging section) or adjust quantity per bag as desired.

Bake: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and centers look set but still soft. Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

Cool: Remove the sheet from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Prepare mix-ins if using: If making variations, fold chosen add-ins into portions of the dough instead of or in addition to the semisweet chips. Examples: fold 0.5 cup white chocolate chips and 0.25 cup chopped toasted nuts into one portion; fold 0.75 cup rolled oats and 0.5 cup dried cranberries into another portion for oatmeal-cranberry cookies.

Bake as directed: Follow the same portioning and baking times described above. Oat variations may need an extra 1–2 minutes of baking; watch for lightly golden edges.

Decide bag size and cookie count: Determine how many cookies you want per bag. For example, divide 24 cookies into 8 bags with 3 cookies each, or 6 bags of 4 cookies. Ensure cookies are completely cooled before packaging to prevent condensation and sogginess.

Wrap for freshness: For a neater presentation and to keep cookies from sticking together, sandwich two cookies with a small piece of parchment between them or place cookies in the bag with a small square of parchment. If you want a gift-ready look, stack cookies and tie with ribbon around the bag.

Seal and label: Place the cookies into each cellophane bag, squeeze out excess air and close with a twist tie or ribbon. Add labels or gift tags noting flavor and the bake date. If including multiple varieties, label each bag accordingly (e.g., 'Chocolate Chip', 'White Chocolate & Nuts', 'Oatmeal Cranberry').

Storage: Store sealed bags at room temperature up to 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze bags flat for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature when ready to use.