One of the wonderful things about getting married is the “in-law” family you get along with the spouse. In my case, I was especially lucky to marry into such good cooks and bakers (no offense mom, wink-wink:)…Since Chad does most of the cooking (and by most I mean all unless we are craving that occasional Kraft Mac-n-Cheese dinner) I have taken up his one weak link..baking. I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of great recipes and tips especially from Chad’s Aunt Lenore (aka Tonte Nor). She is most famously known for her chocolate chip cookies, which she so generously bakes for all of the hotel gift bags for the family weddings, Sunday dinners and holidays. When I initially asked for her recipe, she willingly gave it to me (and also willingly left out a few secret tips) but I think I have finally coaxed it out of her. This is a great easy recipe that I always get tons of compliments on, and if there is a better recipe for chocolate chip cookies in DC, we haven’t found it.
Ingredients:
- 2¼ Cup Flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt (or Sea Salt) <– Chad prefers Sea Salt
- ¾ Cup Butter Flavored Crisco (You can use the big can or the sticks but make sure it is the butter flavored kind with the yellow package)
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 12 Oz Chocolate Chips (Typically I use semi-sweet; Tonte Nor will sometimes freezes her chips but I just keep them room temperature; you can also substitute in M&Ms)
- 1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and set aside.
Mix Crisco, sugars, eggs, and vanilla
Add dry ingredients, stir in chips and nuts.
Taste the batter – yep this is actually the most important step. Most recipes won’t include this crucial step, but for me it’s the most fun part of baking…seriously, what is more delicious than raw chocolate chip cookie dough?
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto un-greased baking sheets. If your baking sheets are old or tend to cause the bottom of your food to burn, try using a sil-pat (see picture below) – this will be sure to keep the bottom of the cookies from burning.
Bake at 375° for 9-11 Minutes – this is actually probably one of the trickier parts depending on the oven. Typically I bake mine for 10 minutes but it really depends on your oven. I recommend putting in the first batch and seeing how they come out and adjust accordingly.
Enjoy!!
PS – it may look like the chips above haven’t melted, but they are just soft enough that they will melt in your mouth!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Ilyssa, your cookies look BEAUTIFUL. I truly didn’t mean to omit any ingredients, it’s just after making them for so many years I sometimes go on “automatic pilot”. One other important note – don’t skimp on the quality of the chips!!!
My mouth is watering!