• Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Filed under Dessert - Cookies
  Oct 7
  
  I think that everyone has their own opinion about what makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. It’s kind of like lasagna – everyone has a different version that they grew up with, and no one else’s is quite the same. Some people like theirs soft, while others like it when they have a crunch to them. Some like theirs flat while others like theirs puffy. I would have to say that I fall into the group that likes their chocolate chip cookies soft and just a little bit puffy. I like a cookie that will stay soft for days (if they last that long!) I have tried my fair share of recipes, but have always fallen back on the tried and true Toll House Cookie recipe. It’s true – this is the recipe that my mom made growing up, but I have made my own small change. The original recipe (the one that comes on the back of the package) calls for 1 cup of butter, but as I’ve mentioned on this blog before, we didn’t use a whole lot of butter growing up. I remember having the choice of butter or margarine on the table at holidays for buttering rolls, but I don’t remember my mom ever using it for cooking or baking. She always made her cookies with shortening. When I moved away from home, I was introduced to the flavor that butter brings to a chocolate chip cookie. The only problem with using butter instead of shortening (in my mind at least) was that the butter version produced a thinner cookie, while the shortening version “poofed” a bit more, making a cookie that stayed soft for a long time. So I started using a half cup of butter and a half cup of shortening. This, to me, makes for the perfect chocolate chip cookie!! I also like to under-cook them by a minute or two, just to ensure that they stay nice and soft.

  The thing I love about chocolate chip cookies is that they are best when you are using up odds and ends from the baking cupboard. You can do a mixture of different kinds of chocolate chips that are left over, or my favorite combination – half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips. I have even thrown in a bag of the mini Andes mint pieces before, and that makes a great cookie as well!!

  So, I don’t think I will search for a better chocolate chip cookie recipe anymore – this is the one for me!!

  Original Toll House Cookies
  slightly adapted from Nestle

  2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1 teaspoon salt
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  3/4 cup granulated sugar
  3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  2 large eggs
  1 3/4 cups chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips, or mint pieces, or a mixture!)
  1 cup chopped nuts, optional

  Preheat oven to 375F.

  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts (if using). Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheet.

  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
  

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  22 Comments

22 Responses to “Chocolate Chip Cookies”

1. 

   Kelly Mahoney said on October 7th, 2007 at 8:36 pm

   Cookies are my favorite food group! I was just thinking about doing a “best lunchtime cookie” for my blog because my class has sought out chocolate chip cookies at various locations near our classroom this week.

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2. 

   Anh said on October 7th, 2007 at 10:00 pm

   Deborah, I baked a batch of chocolate cookies over the weekend, too. No photo though since I sent it to my friend’s place…

   Yours look really good. I will try it out when my cookies craving is on the high again!

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3. 

   Kevin said on October 7th, 2007 at 11:49 pm

   Those look really good. I like large chocolate chunks in my chocolate chip cookies. I also like to keep the cookies in the fridge so that the chocolate is solid and has a distinctly different texture.

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4. 

   Valli said on October 8th, 2007 at 12:10 am

   I like the 1/2 & 1/2 version. I always bake with butter..even my Rice Krispie Squares have butter!!

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5. 

   FindingLaDolceVita said on October 8th, 2007 at 12:12 am

   I like them big and crunchy with macademia nuts. Served with a cold glass of milk and I get to dunk away! Toll House cookies are a classic. You can’t go wrong

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6. 

   Kelly-Jane said on October 8th, 2007 at 9:48 am

   Gorgeous cookies Deborah! I like them soft too

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7. 

   Kate said on October 8th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

   deborah these seem like the ones for me too…Toll House cookies…mmm:p

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8. 

   April said on October 8th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

   I will take a large glass of cold milk with these!

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9. 

   glamah16 said on October 8th, 2007 at 3:07 pm

   I totally agree with you about the butter shortening combo. I just tried tried that out of neccesity and was pleased witht the result.Your cookies look so good. I will post my pie results and the runnerups next week after the contest.

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10. 

    Abby said on October 8th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    I LOVE chocolate chip cookies – thin and chewy for me! And as for them being (almost) Tollhouse – there’s a reason they’re called “classics”, right?!

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11. 

    MyKitchenInHalfCups said on October 9th, 2007 at 7:38 am

    Deborah that’s the recipe I use! and I love doing half chocolate and half peanut butter! but never put mint with chocolate . . . I guess that is one no no for me.

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12. 

    KJ said on October 9th, 2007 at 9:41 am

    We are opposite, I like mine flat and crispy. I love them just out of the oven when the chips are still melted. Yummy.

    We don’t have shortening here in Australia. Everything is cooked with butter or margarine.

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13. 

    Truffle said on October 9th, 2007 at 11:41 am

    No wonder everyone loves these. They look just fantastic! I’d love a plateful!

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14. 

    Cynthia said on October 9th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    Hey, that’s a useful observation you made there about the butter making the cookie thinner and the shortening giving a little proof. Very useful, thanks.

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15. 

    Belinda said on October 9th, 2007 at 11:01 pm

    A good chocolate chip cookie is hard to beat, and yours look perfect, Deborah! I have never tried the half butter/half shortening trick, so thanks for that tip. I always tend to overbake my cookies…its a habit, plus, I love crunchy…and its so true what you said, everyone likes their chocolate chip cookies a certain way.

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16. 

    sunita said on October 10th, 2007 at 12:32 pm

    Your cookies look perfect…I love them big, soft and chewy

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17. 

    Elle said on October 11th, 2007 at 12:36 am

    Completely agree…the Original Toll House recipe is hard to beat, especially if you jazz it up a bit with that mix of chip flavors, etc. Making it half butter and half shortening is genius. I’ll come over and have a few, OK?

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18. 

    eatme_delicious said on October 11th, 2007 at 4:34 am

    I’m searching for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe (well my person ultimate one) right now. I’m happy to see you’ve found yours! So far I think the Neiman Marcus recipe is closest. It’s soft and retains it’s shape instead of being flat and buttery or crispy. I need to get some of those Andes mint pieces at Christmas time so I can bake cookies with them!!

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19. 

    Emilie said on October 12th, 2007 at 11:18 pm

    I made chocolate chip cookies today, too! I agree with you; Tollhouse is the way to go. I’ve used many different recipes, but I think this one is perfect. Alton Brown’s chewy chocolate chip cookies are good, too.

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20. 

    Carrie said on October 15th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    You’re so right. I’m incredibly partial to my own chocolate chip cookie recipe! I’ve tried others but still always secretly think my own are the best! (so much for keeping it a secret hu?)
    Just last night I tried a new recipe and it flopped. After I was done, I wished I had just used the tried and true!

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21. 

    Amanda at Little Foodies said on October 16th, 2007 at 9:14 am

    Your cookies look great!

    This past weekend I was looking for recipes that would use chocolate and peanut butter, either a cake or a cookie. I ended up making flapjacks instead.

    I don’t think we can get peanut butter chips in England! Probably a good thing.

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22. 

    Margie said on October 17th, 2007 at 5:26 pm

    this recipe is my fave, but i go all butter. and i cook mine on stoneware. crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.

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