Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite cookie.  Nothing makes the house smell more like home than a batch of these lovelies baking in the oven.

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and  round up the usual suspects:  all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Mix them up in a medium sized bowl, and set aside.

Next, get the second group of rascals:  butter flavored shortening, butter, light brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and egg.  Many recipes call for butter, or shortening, however I have found mixing them gives the perfect consistency of a crunchy outside with a chewy inside.

Whip the butter and shortening together first until creamy.  Add the sugar, milk, and vanilla and blend. 
Lastly add the egg until just blended.  It will look creamy and delicious.

Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture a half cup at a time, until all has been mixed.

Place the dough in a medium bowl and mix in the chocolate chips by hand.  An excellent way to make these even more delicious is using the triple chip trick:  ½ cup each semi sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch chips.  I only had the semi sweet chips on hand, so that is what you see in the picture.

Using a small scoop, create even portions of dough.

Then roll them into balls by hand.  This will make very pretty cookies.

**Note:  For portion control, I only bake 1 or 2 dozen cookies at a time.  Once I have them rolled into balls, I pop them into the freezer on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until frozen.  The the dough balls can then be put into a plastic freezer bag, and baked as desired.  I put them directly from freezer to cookie sheet and bake an additional 2 minutes.**

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are golden brown.  If you prefer a more chewy cookie bake 12 minutes.  If you prefer more crunch bake 15 minutes.

Allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to cool completely.

The cookies on the left are Peanut Butter Toffee and the cookies on the right are the chocolate chip.

Grab a big glass of milk, and enjoy.


Prep Time:  15 minutes  Cook Time:  60 minutes  Servings:  4 dozen

Ingredients

½ cup butter, unsalted and softened
½ cup butter flavored shortening
1¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ to 2 cups chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Combine butter and shortening until creamy.  Add brown sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.  Beat an egg into the creamed mixture

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture ½ cup at a time until blended.  Add the chocolate chips by hand.

Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet using a small scoop about 3 inches apart.  Roll dough into balls by hand.  Bake one sheet at a time on middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are light brown on top. 

Cool two minutes on cookie sheet, then remove cookies to foil or a cooling rack to cool completely.






 

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies Recipe

Today for no other reason than to have fun, cookies were baked in the middle of the afternoon.

To start, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Next, in a large bowl combine shortening, peanut butter, light brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

This looks horrible, I realize, especially since I used ¼ cup chunky peanut butter.  Trust me, and mix it up. Also throw in an egg, and beat just until blended.

Ah, there, isn't that better?  Glad you trusted me.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add this a half cup at a time to the peanut butter mixture, until all of it has been incorporated.

**Tip:  do not confuse the lock lever on your mixer with the speed lever, as I did, or the clean up will be horrific.**

Lastly, mix  in the toffee pieces by hand.

Using a small scoop, make balls of dough, and roll them in some excess toffee bits.  Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake them for 8 minutes, then let them cool for 2 minutes on a wire rack.

Remove the cookies to a plate to finish cooling.

Once cool, enjoy one immediately.  Well, if you can only have one you are strong.  I do apologize, for they truly are obscenely delicious, and totally worth the clean up if you miss the tip.

Ingredients

½ cup shortening
¾ cup peanut butter (I used ½ cup creamy and ¼ cup chunky because I like the crunch)
1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups toffee bits (I used the Heath Bar pieces found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips)

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375°

Beat the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla until well blended.  Add the egg and beant until just blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt;  gradually beat into the peanut butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits, and save the rest for topping.

Using a small scoop, make balls of dough and roll them in the remaining toffee bits.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes, and let cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes.  Remove cookies to a wire rack or plate until they cool completely.

Yields 3 to 4 dozen cookies depending on what size scoop used.