How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Follow these simple steps to make the the world's best chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 - 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp. baking soda
• 1 Cup shortening or 1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 - 3/4 Cup packed brown sugar (total sugar should equal 1.5 cups)
• 3/4 - 1 Cup white sugar (total sugar should equal 1.5 cups)
• 1 - 2 Tsp. pure vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 - 3 Cups chocolate chips
• 1 Cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Gently mix these together and then set this bowl aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, and pure vanilla. When those are completely mixed together, add eggs and mix again until completely combined.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, mixing until the dry ingredients are totally combined. At this point you should have a moderately thick cookie dough.
5. Add chocolate chips, and if you want you can also add chopped walnuts. Mix together.
6. Scoop up a golf ball size amount of dough with a spoon and drop in onto a cookie sheet. Leave at least an inch of space between the cookies because they'll spread out when they cook. You can usually fit 12 cookies on a cookie sheet at a time.
7. Put the cookies in the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes. You'll want to check them after 8 minutes, but if they look doughy, you'll want to cook them for another couple of minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies sit on the pan for 3-5 minutes.
8. Using a spatula, lift cookies off onto wax paper or tin foil. Let cool for about 5 more minutes.
9. Eat and enjoy!

Tips

• If you want crispy cookies, bake them a few minutes longer.
• Do not grease the cookie pan prior to baking.
• Makes about 30 cookies.
• Spray the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray (Pam is a well known brand).
• Use parchment paper or silipat sheets to prevent sticking.

What You'll Need

• One medium bowl
• One large bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cookie sheet
• Spatula
• Wax paper, foil, or cooling rack