Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

These just about made my life. Cookie dough - with no eggs!  You can eat as much as you want, and you don't have to worry about salmonella or getting another sickness from raw eggs.  And who doesn't love cookie dough?  I'm sure there are many of you out there who have attempted to make cookies and ended up eating a good portion of the dough.  I know I have.  In fact, I think cookie dough tastes better than a baked cookie.  Actually...I take that back.  There's nothing better than a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven - all ooey and gooey and hot and delicious.  But the cookie dough is definitely the next best thing.  These cookie dough balls are fool-proof and so easy to whip up.  They're a huge crowd-pleaser too.  

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened*
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate coating: (optional)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

*if you only have unsalted, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips, and mix until well blended. Roll dough into bite-sized balls.  Melt 2 cups chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium, microwaveable bowl.  Mix well. Dip frozen cookie dough balls into chocolate mixture, place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.