Mom’s Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

I grew up with these delectable soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside cookies. When they come out of the oven the whole house smells delicious. Taking that first bite of cookie, just out of the oven, hot and c crispy with the gooey melted chocolate in molten little bits… My mom made these on a regular basis- never without my absconding with a good portion of the dough. She would protest with a smile, knowing that her resistance would never work. When my brother was in high school she even started a little cookie delivery business. They are worth their weight in gold.
Ingredients:
1 c brown sugar 1/2 c granulated sugar 1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening 1 1/2 t. Vanilla 2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour 1 t. Baking soda 1/2 t. Salt
1 12ounce package chocolate chips 1 c nuts (optional)
If you plan to bake your cookies right away preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the two sugars, butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.
Add eggs one at a time beating thoroughly after each.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in dry ingredients until well blended.
Stir in chocolate bits. Add nuts if you like- pecans and macadamia nuts are especially good. Scrape down the sides of your bowl to be sure all of the goodies are incorporated into your dough.
At this point you have many options:
I find using an ice cream scoop -the kind with a moving release band inside the scoop-, I can drop the cookies onto the baking sheet easily and the sizes are consistent. Baking times will vary depending on the size of your scoop. For a 2 ounce scoop, drop the cookies about 2” apart on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Another option is to spread the dough into a greased 9 X 13 baking pan. Bake these for 25 minutes or until the center is lightly brown. Cool a bit then cut them into squares. Baked this way they make wonderful ice cream sandwiches. Place a cooled square on a plate. Top with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Cover with another square. For the deluxe version- drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Yum!
This dough freezes extremely well. If you want to save some for later, spoon or scoop the dough onto a plastic wrap lined pan. Top with another piece of plastic and place in your freezer. When the dough balls are hardened, transfer them into a plastic, zip freezer bag. They store indefinitely. This is a dangerous thing to do if you like the dough. Removing one from the freezer to bake or to eat frozen is a treat anytime. You can bake them straight from the freezer. Just keep an eye on them as they bake for a bit longer.