i've never met julie, but these cookies are beautiful. as legend has it, she would bake them to a 4" diameter. thanks to the pudding, they stay soft and chewy for days.

1 cup margarine (2 sticks) softened
2 cups white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package (6 oz.) instant pudding (chocolate or vanilla)
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 bag mini chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Soften butter in microwave, one minute; cream butter with sugars.
Add eggs, beat til smooth.
Add instant pudding and vanilla.
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. (When adding flour to wet ingredients, mix by hand - dough will become thick.) Add chocolate chips.

Set mixture in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Drop by tablespoon for smaller cookies (twelve to fifteen per tray); roll by hand for larger cookies (four to six per tray).

Bake 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies; 15-17 minutes for larger cookies.

Remove to cooling rack/paper towel after about one minute.

(can be frozen - tasty when cold; bland when thawed. i recommend eating them right off the pan, so that you burn away your palate... keep milk handy.)

the secret to this dessert is the pudding - i prefer chocolate, but some prefer vanilla. to each his own, to all the cookie.