Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and this is mine.  A friend of mine came up with this recipe.  He took Alton Brown's recipes for Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, and created this recipe that is both chewy and puffy!  In my opinion, no other recipe comes even close to this one.  It is that good!

In case you are wondering, these are the treats I brought to school to celebrate the clever girl's 4th birthday with her class, hence the 4 in chocolate on top!

Cream butter-flavored shortening with the sugar.  You might be shouting, "WHAT, no butter??" right now, so let me explain.  Using shortening helps the cookie to be puffier.  Butter has water in it and shortening doesn't.  When you bake a cookie using butter, the butter melts and spreads faster and further than it would with shortening.  Cookies made with shortening will be lighter, with a crispier exterior and a slightly chewy center.  Cookies made with butter will be flatter, crispier around the edges, and chewier in the middle, more like a brownie texture.  If you use white shortening, you will definitely miss the butter taste, as that does contribute to the total flavor of the cookie, so use butter flavor shortening.  OR, use white shortening and add about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter flavor.  All of this is not to say that I make all cookies with shortening.  But I do for this one, because it is the perfect combination of the chewy and puffy chocolate chip cookie!

Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each one.

Then add vanilla and mix well again.  I use Penzey's double-strength vanilla.  Even though it says "double-strength" and the bottle says you can use half the amount a recipe calls for, I always use the same amount.  I am a vanilla fan and I don't think half would work for me.  When I used to use regular strength vanilla, I always used more than the recipe called for, too. 

It just occurred to me that I could make my own vanilla extract....  Hmmm, maybe a project for another post...

Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients.  Add to the mixer bowl and beat very well.

Add chocolate chips and nuts if you choose.  My secret weapon for chocolate chip cookies is Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips.  I get them in gigantic bags from Sams Club whenever my parents are in town (they have a membership and I don't so I buy lots of bags at once) and store them in the freezer.  It would be a real travesty in my home to run out of chocolate chips! 

I use a round tablespoon measure and make a cookie ball, placing each one on a parchment lined baking sheet.   Here is a great thing about this recipe - you don't need to have very much patience!  In about 12 or so minutes, the cookies will be ready!  Leave them on the cookie sheets a few minutes so the protein will set, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Or put in your mouth.  (that is more like it, in my house!)

If you intend to use the same cookie sheet again, give it a rinse with cold water and dry it off.  This will take the heat out of the sheet so the cookies cook evenly.  If you do not cool down the cookie sheet, the cookies will be a bit thinner than the first batch.

The clever girl was thrilled to take her special chocolate chip cookies to school!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from my friend, Nick

Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on how much batter you "taste"

1 cup butter-flavored shortening
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 tsp. if you use regular table salt)
1 1/2 TB baking powder, plus a pinch
2 cups chocolate chips
1-2 cups walnuts (optional)

NOTE 1:  If you don't have butter-flavored shortening, add about 1 1/2 teaspoons butter flavoring with white shortening.
NOTE 2:  If you don't have bread flour, use all-purpose flour and be sure to beat extremely well (2-3 minutes) after adding the flour but before adding chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cream the shortening and both sugars.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and beat well.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, kosher salt and baking powder.  Add to mixer and beat very well.  Add chocolate chips and nuts if using and mix to distribute.

Using a rounded tablespoon measure, place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden and the edges are starting to brown towards the bottom.  Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet to allow the protein to set.  Transfer to a cooling sheet and allow to cool.
Printable Recipe

Seriously, these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever.  I crave them.  We'll eat a batch, some time will pass, and I'll start thinking about them all over again.  I may try to postpone my yearning for as long as I can, but sooner or later I will cave and make another batch.  Then I have to use serious willpower to not eat one every time I wander near the kitchen.  They are wonderful.  After a couple of days, I will put them in the microwave for 10-12 seconds before eating - this makes the chips all melty like it just came out of the oven.  Ahhh, heaven.