I found this recipe that the lady originally used one batch of dough to make it into 3 different types of cookies. (
3 Cookies, 1 Dough) I thought the cookies looked good, soft and chewy, just the way I like my cookies. I kind of made a combination of two of her recipes (or basically just throwing different kinds of chips that I had in my house) and put butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, and regular chocolate chips in; I was a little nervous about the butterscotch chips and if they were going to be too overpowering but everyone told me that they loved them and that I should try doing it without the regular chocolate chips (I did that too and it was a big hit). I love that this recipe is so versatile with different kinds of chocolate and that it continues to be delicious, this is definitely becoming a favorite.
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup butter (don't use margarine)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 bags chocolate chips (12 oz. bags)
There are three key points in this recipe.
1. Use shortening and butter. I know some of you are going to replace the shortening with butter, and I won't hold it against you. But the shortening is what gives the cookie a slight crispiness around the edges while still feeling soft inside.
So, start by mixing the shortening and butter with white and brown sugar. Add the three eggs and vanilla and here's the second key point...
2. Mix the butter/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. The time is important for the eggs and butter to become fully whipped and to develop new chemistry. You'll watch the buttery mix go from gushy liquid to beautiful cream.
In a seperate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Then add the other 1/2 and mix. And finally...
3. Use a lot of good chocolate chips and mix semi-sweet with milk chips. Some recipes call for one bag of chocolate chips. This recipe is large so we're using 2 bags. But sometimes I throw in 2 1/2!
Use a small cookie scoop to make 15 uniform balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (do NOT use a non-stick pan-the cookies won't bake as evenly).
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or just until the cookies are slightly golden on top. If you wait till the cookies are entirely golden on the outside, its too late. They'll be overcooked. You want them to be soft inside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooking rack, though they may not make it that far.
