Cookie Recipe- you could eat the whole pan

I had to make a snack to send into Buddy's classroom.  Hmm.  What to make?  Well, I have a feeling most first graders like chocolate chip cookies.  So, I whipped up a big batch of my friend Esther's chocolate chip bar cookies.  Let's all say hello to Esther.....she sometimes visits me here in blogland.  :)  Hi, Esther!!  Esther is the sweetest.  Maybe sometime she'll let me pass along her sugar cookie recipe to you....delicious!

I normally make these in 2 pizza pans as it calls for, but for little hands I thought bars would be better.  These are the softest, bestest (yup, I am going to throw out the non-existent word) cookie in the world, mostly thanks to the cream cheese.  My mom would make me these cookies and ship them in a pizza box to me at college...they were always a huge hit.  In fact, I think she even sent the second cookie a time or two to the boys next door.  It ships well and the cream cheese keeps them soft for days if tightly wrapped.  You could even pipe on a message if you wanted it for a special event like they do in the mall cookie shops.  Anyway, here is the recipe for the cookies. 

Esther's Pizza Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter softened
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 package cream cheese- 8 ounces
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 package of Nestle semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts optional (I did not use these)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease 2 pizza pans (or 1 large cookie sheet).  Cream butter, sugars, cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs.  Combine flour, salt, and soda in separate bowl.  Add to cream mixture slowly.  Stir in chips and nuts.  Divide dough evenly in half and spread on each pizza pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown around edges.  Cool completely in pans on wire racks.  Cut slim wedges with your pizza cutter.  

Happy baking!  Kris