The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie East of the Mississippi

Nothing's better than a warm cookie and a glass of milk.

I got quite a bit of nice stuff for my wedding. A comforter set, an heirloom table, a clock, and more crystal bowls than I know what to do with. One of the very best things I got, though, was a particular recipe. These are seriously the best cookies I have ever had. I love them, my husband loves them, and they will make your day a little bit happier. I was hesitant to share it, because it has been my secret weapon for years. However, as I am such a selfless person (or something) I figured I should probably pass on this gift to the rest of the world, for the betterment of mankind.

Now, there are tons of recipes out there that claim to be the "best chocolate chip cookie ever," but I promise these have a track record of success. Everyone I have ever made them for has declared them the very best cookies east of the Mississippi. I haven't made them to the west of the Mississippi, but I bet they would be pretty good there too.

My ancient KitchenAid. I call it "Old Faithful."

All the ingredients for success.

This isn't too different from the basic recipe, but it has more flour and involves butter flavored Crisco. The Crisco really is necessary, and helps the cookies stay gooey when done. The hardest part of the recipe is figuring out your oven. I've had different results in different ovens, probably because of the variation and evenness of the heating. Be really careful and keep an eye on your cookies throughout the cooking time until you figure out how long you need to leave them in your particular oven. Allowing the cookies to cool slightly on the cookie sheet lets them cook a bit longer without being at the full heat, which for some reason that probably has to do with thermodynamics and chemistry, keeps them moist and chewy on the inside. The wire rack helps the outside get a little more crispy.

They start like this....

And end up like this!

It might take some trials to get them perfect, but trust me, it is totally worth it!
 

Perfection. A+ for me.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie East of the Mississippi
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened (but not melted!)
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 deg F

With an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time and blend well, then add the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the flour mix to the butter mix 1/2 a cup at a time until it has all been added. Beat in chocolate chips until just combined.

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Use about 2 tbl of dough per cookie, spaced about 1 in apart. Bake for 8-10 min, or until slightly browned. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for approximately 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy with a glass of milk.