Chocolate Chip Holiday Tea Cakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Beat vanilla, butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add flour. Stir in 3/4 of the package of chocolate chips.

Using a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon, scoop out one spoonful for each cookie and roll into balls; place on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can put the cookies really close together because they really don’t puff out all that much. I put the entire amount of dough on one tray and bake it. (That’s why I love this recipe. It makes about four and a half dozen cookies and you only have to bake one tray.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and golden brown on the bottom. (You should be able to lift up one of the cookies and look at the bottom. It bottom is light golden, they are done.)

Leave them on the tray for a little while and then put the whole tray in the refrigerator while making the chocolate topping.

Chocolate topping:

Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave or use a double boiler. Pour into a sandwich bag; make a small cut at the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. (This is why I leave them on the pan. Fewer dishes to wash, and the cookies are already close together so you don’t waste any time or chocolate.)

Refrigerate cookies for 5 minutes or until chocolate is set. You can store them at room temperature in airtight containers, but I keep mine in the fridge because I like to eat them cold.

Yum!