Does anyone remember the episode of Friends where Monica and Phoebe try and replicate Phoebe’s grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe? .. You know, the one where they find out it was really written on the back of the Nestle Toll House bag?

Yes? Well good, because that’s what we’re talking about today!

I don’t know about for you, but one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about newlywed life has been getting to host other people.  Whether it was in our old apartment or in our new home, inviting people to share your space has always been so fun for us!  … Especially when it’s around the table sharing a meal together.

However, I’m also not always very prepared when it comes to this and so, often you’ll find me as a last-minute hostess.  To solve that problem, I have a few key ingredients always keep on hand, for when we decide to invite someone over last minute.

The first of these is the ingredients is for ensuring that we always have dessert handy.  In case you’re just now catching on, I make a lot of chocolate chip cookie bars… but I figured I would share the couple ways I spruce them up and make them my own!

1. Make sure that you use unsalted butter instead of salted.  Salted for whatever reason seems to make things heavier and flatter.
2. When it calls for 3/4cup of sugar and brown sugar, I make those a bit heaping ;) But that’s also because I like things to be pretty sweet!
3. I also always use mini chocolate chips! To me they melt better and taste better the next few days.
4. Perks of this recipe: if you wait to finish baking until shortly before they arrive, the house has an wonderful aroma when they walk in!  … I learned that from the movie Leap Year (Who said chick-flicks can’t be helpful?!)!

 

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: as found on the back of your Toll House bag…

 

And there you have it folks, part one of the last-minute hostess, featuring: chocolate chip cookies.

And that’s the way the cookie crumbled…

Now I want to hear from you… are there any ingredients that you have to keep on hand for when people come over? What’s your go-to, last-minute dessert?