Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my absolute favorite and perfect chocolate chip cookies. I've tried tons of recipes to get them the way I like them. Perfect if you like good chocolate chips, and crispy cookies. Please do try the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Chips. They're extra big and they stay creamy, even after baking, and have such good flavor. If you can't find those, try a good quality semi sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks. From the Ghirardelli site, but I've made changes. By the way, I've made these time after time with consistent results each time. EXCEPT for the time my husband bought butter flavor shortening instead of plain. What a disaster! I actually mourned the passing of that bag of Ghirardelli chips, lol. So PLEASE, for my happiness and yours, USE PLAIN SHORTENING, not butter flavor icky shortening! Thank you.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup shortening
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1⁄4 cups unsifted flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups  Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips or 2  cups  milk chocolate chips or 2  cups  double chocolate chips
• 1  cup  chopped walnuts or 1  cup pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375º F.
2. Stir the flour with baking soda and salt, then set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and the shortening with the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
4. Blend the dry mixture into creamed mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).
6. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. (I like to use parchment paper for baking on).
8. Bake at 375º F for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.