For starters, let's set up the paradigm: I love cookies. Mama's cookies were always the best. Mama committed plagiarism.

When I got older and headed off to college, I was informed that the homemade cookies that I grew up on were not some family secret from centuries ago, but rather was located on every package of Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels.

This did not take away from the fact that they were good cookies, but it did make me want to 'own' the recipe.

The following steps include bits and pieces from the original recipe with my additions.

Step 1: Original Recipe

2.25 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter (softened)
.75 cup sugar
.75 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

(If you don't believe me, just look at the back of the package of Nestle semi-sweet morsels... :) )

Step 2: Ponder While Listening to 'these Are a Few of My Favorite Things' on the Sound of Music

Well, I liked the cookies, but I wanted to put in what I liked and here are the changes -

not so many chocolate chips
coconut. gotta have coconut.
not too sweet. i plan on eating a dozen at a time, so it can't be too sweet...
i hear dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate, so why not?
I like salty foods, but not salty cookies. Cut back a little on the salt...

Step 3: Begin With the Dry Ingredients

Begin by mixing the following in a large bowl:

2.25 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt (a little less (the butter I usually have is salted))
.66 cup sugar (a little less)
.66 cup brown sugar (a little less)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup dark chocolate morsels
1 pkg chopped pecans
1.25 cup coconut flakes

Step 4: Now Melt and Mix

After I added all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mixed it with a large spoon, I poured the following in on top of the mixed ingredients:

1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 large eggs (beaten)
2 sticks of butter (melted)

Step 5: Mix and Place on a Cookie Sheet

I admit I do not have mad cookie scooping skills, so my cookies come out all different sizes. I just flop the cookie batter on a non-stick baking sheet and place in the oven. The original recipe states 375 for 9-11 minutes. I preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 8 minutes. They seem to cook a little faster with the adjustments made.