Best Ever Chocolate Cookies

I made a lot of sugar cookies at Christmas time.  I am not ready for more sugar cookies.  What I really wanted was a good chocolate cookie.  Something soft and delicious.  Something I would love and that would make me smile.

As I often do, I started with google.  I searched a few different ways, and then I thought I would try searching for "chocolate peanut butter cookies".  That's when I found it.  But well, not quite it.  It called for peanut butter chips, not peanut butter.  It also called for brown sugar and I didn't have any.  But I wanted to make it anyhow.

So I changed the recipe and made it my own.  I love doing this.  It's fun because I never know if it's going to work out the way I hope.  But sometimes it does.  This time it did.  It was amazing!!  These are my new favorite cookies.  These are the cookies I will be giving to friends for Christmas next year.  It doesn't matter that there is not peanut butter in them.  They are that good. 

First of all, if you don't have brown sugar, you can make your own.  For one cup of sugar I mix in about 1tsp of black strap molasses.  If you use another type of molasses, you might want to add a little more.  Black strap has a stronger flavor.

Now for the best chocolate cookies you will ever make:

2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy.  Add in eggs and beat until well combined.

Add in flour mixture slowly until well combined. 

Place rounded teaspoons on baking sheet about 1 inch apart.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool and enjoy.