When I learned that I'd be living with a host family while studying abroad in Chile, I expected a lot of things: excitement over new relationships (new family and friends!), opportunities for learning (new culture!), and--at times--a LOT of confusion (language barrier!).

However, one of the things I didn't anticipate before arriving in Chile was the complete lack of one of my favorite things: chocolate chip cookies. In fact, while it is possible to find M&M or Oreo cookies at the grocery store or in someone's kitchen cupboard, chocolate chip cookies are far more difficult to find. When I talked to my host mom about the death of America's favorite cookie, she said she'd never even learned how to make one!

Thus began my quest to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe to share with my host family. They've given me a home and a bed and an everlasting supply of black tea (side note: people in Santiago are VERY into drinking tea, which is a lifestyle choice that I support 100%), so why not give them a good cookie recipe?

After scouring the internet, the best recipe I came across is this Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, developed by blogger AverieCooks. Upon trying out the recipe, I found the instructions to be easy to follow, the baking time to be pretty manageable, and the cookies to be out-of-this-world delicious. Forget Chips Ahoy--these cookies are where it's at! You can even substitute in cocoa powder to make them extra chocolatey!

My entire host family loved these cookies, and I plan on making this recipe again in order to convert the whole of Chile into a chocolate chip cookie-loving nation. Wish me luck!