wegmans chocolate chip cookies

you know how people love trader joes? and by love, i mean, blog their cart full of groceries and profess their undying love for trader joes products. it's funny, of all the people i've heard go on and on about grocery stores - there are others that admire whole foods - i've never once seen someone online talk about wegmans. what's up with that? it's the reason alec baldwin's mom won't move away from the syracuse area (and yes, alec & his mom did a few commercials for them too).

if you live along the east coast, and especially rochester, since wegmans was started and is still headquartered here, wegmans is probably your neighborhood grocery store. i've been to a few trader joes and a handful of whole foods, and let me tell you what: they don't even come close to wegmans. the stores are clean, they carry anything and everything you'd ever want, their prepared foods section is insane (sushi, burrito bar, & fish fry among others), their staff is super nice, and they've been in the top 5 "best companies to work for" for the last eight years. this place is no joke. (somewhere, my mom and dad are laughing, saying my wegmans radar is going crazy!) long story short, if you ever get the chance, go to wegmans. if you're in the rochester area, go to the pittsford wegmans. i believe they still offer guided tours.

these cookies are the cookies of my college years. i can still see all of us, second year of school - 2001, to be exact - crowded in my apartment. aron manning the stove, cooking a huge pot of spaghetti with meat sauce, me making a mess on the counter and a double batch of these cookies, and others gossiping with me while making cookies, finishing up last minute homework, talking to high school friends via instant messenger, or figuring out what our friday night plans were. i think that dinner happened about once a week back then. i can't help but think of that time whenever i make these cookies.

wegmans chocolate chip cookies
adapted from the back of the wegmans chocolate chips bag & their website
makes about 3 dozen

the original recipe skips chilling the dough, which means you end up with a cakier cookie. by all means, skip the chill if that's what you're after. i prefer my chocolate chip cookies on the chewy side, so i always chill the dough.

this time when i made these, i baked one dozen immediately, one dozen 24 hours later, and the last dozen 48 hours later. jason and i both decided the 24 hour cookies were the best.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (one 12 ounce bag)

1. cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. add the vanilla and water and mix until incorporated.
2. add 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking soda and salt and mix until incorporated. mix in the remaining 1 cup flour. stir in the chocolate chips. 
3. cover and chill the dough at least one hour or up to 24.
4. preheat your oven to 375F. line a sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. drop chilled dough by rounded tablespoons at least 2 inches apart. bake about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers are just set. cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.