From my Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every time I take these cookies somewhere…I get lots of comments.  They are just so delicious!  I actually portion them out into baggies and freeze them…to ensure there are enough to fill Ben’s lunch box for the week.  Because they don’t last long in our house!  We even enticed Elaine to take her first steps by holding out one of these cookies!  And she loves to dunk them….see more about that here.

I think this recipe came from Better Homes & Gardens.  I had two different cookbooks from them as a newlywed.  The recipes were different for Chocolate Chip Cookies…so I combined, adjusted, and…perfected?  I love chocolate chip cookies.  And I like them soft – not crunchy & crumbly.  I use margarine in this recipe, but it is phenomenal with real butter too!  I like milk chocolate chips best, but we often use semi-sweet because they are available at Costco.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe From Andrea Hamilton via Better Homes & Gardens

• ½ c. shortening 
• ½ c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1 c. brown sugar
• ½ c. white sugar
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 ½ c. flour
• 1 pkg. milk chocolate chips
• Nuts (optional)  I grew up having nuts in my cookies, but Ben doesn’t like them that way, so I never use nuts anymore. 

Cream together butter and shortening. Add sugars and blend well. Add baking soda, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in flour. Add chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8.5 minutes at 375°, or just until edges begin to brown. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to wire rack to cool.

I found that not over-browning them in the oven, but rather letting them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes really keeps them soft.  They almost look uncooked when I pull them out of the oven, but the edges are brown {and they are cooked…I don’t do raw food!}