Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

My new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Forget the NY Times recipe, this is the best ever.

And of course I am head-over-heels in debt to the Repressed Pastry Chef.  I found this recipe at her site.

Now, a thing about the ingredients.  I'm usually not a big fan of Crisco, but for cookies, I'll make an exception.  And cake flour?  I don't usually use it, but I had a ton left over from some strawberry shortcake that I made (pre-Lemonade Soul! :O that's a looong time ago - but the flour's still good!).

Anyway, make these.  You won't be sorry.  You'll be the opposite of sorry, actually.  Like, ecstatic.  I bet you can add nuts if you like, but to me, that just detracts from the simplicity of the good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie.  But that's just my opinion.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

REQUIRES SOFTENED BUTTER

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup butter flavor Crisco

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3/4 cup cake flour

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and Crisco.  Add brown sugar, sugar, and salt and beat well.
3. Beat in vanilla and egg.
4. In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, flour, and baking soda with a fork.  Add to wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by tablespoon-sized cookie scoop onto parchment paper and bake 11-12 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes before removing cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Makes about 30 cookies.

Breaking it down:

Beat butter and Crisco...

Add sugars and salt...

Add egg and vanilla...

Add flours and baking soda.  You don't actually have to combine them in a separate bowl, I just stuck that up there because it generally makes for a more even cookie.  Do whatever you want.

Add chocolate chips...

And try not to eat all the cookie dough just yet!  (Doesn't it look gorgeous?)

Drop by tablespoon-sized cookie scoop onto parchment paper lined baking sheets, 12 to a sheet...

...and bake 11 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Let cool 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Or to cool until you can't help yourself and take a bite of the delicious, warm, chocolatey cookie.  Oh, yum.

Enjoy yourself!  You will, I swear!
-JJ