Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I first started making these cookies before I could drive. My neighbors would get excited about these cookies. I wooed my husband in college by baking these cookies. All this was before the days of realizing that trans fats were terrible and that shortening isn’t really a product I want to use in baking.

Now, true… the shortening sticks no longer contain trans fats. But that’s probably the only redeeming quality. That and the fact that they make these tasty, tasty, evil little cookies.

I hadn’t made them in years, but my husband requested them recently. Instead of trying to alter the recipe and adapt it to my healthier tendencies, I took the shocking route and made them straight. And I think my husband devoured half the batch that same day!

The cookies really are good, they have a nice chewiness and there is a nice little saltiness in them to balance the sweet. Now if only I didn’t feel guilty about consuming them!

The Ingredients:
3/4 stick Crisco® Butter Shortening Sticks
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white “chocolate” baking chips

The Instructions:
1. HEAT oven to 375ºF.
2. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
3. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
4. BAKE 8 to 9 minutes for chewy cookies (or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies, but I never do that with this recipe). Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.