Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was younger, my brother always requested that I make Chocolate Chip Cookies. Even when he was serving an LDS mission, he always asked that we send some his way. Years have passed and for the life of me, I do not remember that recipe. When I became an adult, I was always searching for a new recipe that wouldn't sink. The day Pinterest came and I found and tried several recipes claiming to be the "World's Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie". I finally found one that I fell in love with!! Of course, the link now has a warning that reads: This link redirects visitors to another site - it may link to spam or other inappropriate content. I assure you, it is not spam or inappropriate. The recipe came from Dana Made It. This recipe makes a TON too. Which is great to put in the freezer to bake cookies anyday.

( This picture is from Dana Made It)

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 5-6 dozen
Or…tons of dough to freeze for later enjoyment

1 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Butter (don’t use margarine)
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 cups Flour (if the cookies feel flat, use 6 cups)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 bags choc chips (12 oz bags) – 1 semi-sweet, 1 milk chocolate

There are three key points in this recipe.
1. Use shortening and butter. I know some of you are going to replace the shortening with butter, and I won’t hold it against you. But the shortening is what gives the cookie a slight crispness around the edges while still feeling soft inside.

So, start by mixing the shortening and butter with white and brown sugar. Add the three eggs and vanilla and here’s the second key point….

2. Mix the buttery/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. The time is important for the eggs and butter to become fully whipped and to develop new chemistry. You’ll watch the buttery mix go from gushy liquid to beautiful cream.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Then add the other 1/2 and mix.
And finally….

3. Use a lot of good chocolate chips and mix semi-sweet with milk chips. Some recipes call for one bag of chocolate chips. This recipe is large so we’re using 2 bags. (I'll admit, if I don't have milk chocolate chips, I'll use straight semi-sweet.

Bake at 350 for 8-9 mins. or just until the cookies are slightly golden on top. You want them to be soft inside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooking rack.

Now, here's a cool trick I found on Pinterest from Fooducate, of course. Take your dollar store ice cube trays & fill each hole with your left over cookie dough. About the same amount in each hole as you made for each cookie. Throw them in the freezer until it is frozen enough to keep its form. Transfer them from the ice cube trays to a zip lock bag. Then, when you are ready for cookies again, pop them on the pan and throw in the over. I like to put them in the microwave for 20 seconds or throw them in the oven while it is pre-heating. Then bake as normal.

Grandma's Lace Cookies

Lace Cookies
Grandma LaRaine Robison


1/4 C. Butter
2/3 C. Brn Sugar
1/4 C. Crisco
1/2 C Corn Syrup
1 C.  Flour
1 C. pecans finely chopped (or more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bring butter, brn sugar, Crisco, and syrup to a boil.
Remove from heat.  Add 1 c. flour & 1 c pecans immediately.

Spoon a large Tbl. of dough on pan.  (Can get about 3 on a pan).\

Bake 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes.   Cool slightly.  Turn cookies upside down on glass bottom
to form a cup.  Serve with ice cream.

Peppermint Ice cream with chocolate drizzle - nice for Christmas

Best Ever Gingerbread Cookies

Pollis' THICK AND CHEWY GINGERBREAD COOKIES
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons milk

1. In food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With machine running, gradually add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms soft mass, about 10 seconds. Alternatively, in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, gradually add molasses and milk; mix until dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

2. Scrape dough onto work surface; divide in half. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll 1/4-inch thick between two large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment layers, stack on cookie sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate dough 2 hours or overnight.)

3. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Remove one dough sheet from freezer; place on work surface. Peel off top parchment sheet and gently lay it back in place. Flip dough over; peel off and discard second parchment layer. Cut dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring shapes to parchment-lined cookie sheets with wide metal spatula, spacing them 3/4 inch apart; set scraps aside. Repeat with remaining dough until cookie sheets are full. Bake cookies until set in centers and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating cookie sheets front to back and switching positions top to bottom halfway through baking time. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack; cool to room temperature.

5. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking in steps 2 and 4. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is used. For about twenty 5-inch gingerbread people or thirty 3-inch cookies

Don't overbake the cookies or they will be dry.
Store soft gingerbread in a wide, shallow airtight container or tin with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between each cookie layer.
These cookies are best eaten within one week.