There is nothing that screams comfort food like chocolate chip cookies! They are especially delicious when they come straight from the oven. These cookies are my signature baked good, and I love being associated with this delicious treat that immediately puts a smile on your face when you bite into it. When I go to potlucks, family gatherings, and get-togethers with friends, most of the time it is expected that I will bring them. As silly as it sounds, my family and friends can taste the love that put in to them.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
- 1/2 c. margarine, softened
- 1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 c. light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 3 c. flour
- 1 t. Mexican vanilla
- 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine margarine, Crisco, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until fully combined.Don’t over mix. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Roll in to golf ball sized balls. Makes 3 dozen. Bake 8-9 minutes at 350. Remove from pan immediately and cool on cooling rack.
Through all of the years of baking these cookies, I have found a few helpful hints.
Bake to your preference. My favorite is soft cookies, so I tend to underbake them a bit. I pull them out of the oven when the tops are barely browned. I take them out of the oven after 8 minutes, but you may need to make a batch to see how long it takes as ovens tend to vary. They will be pretty soft and doughy, but will continue to cook on the cooling rack. Some of my family members prefer them to be a little more crunchy, so I increase the bake time to 10 minutes.
The pan you bake them on makes a difference. I prefer to use a baking stone that is well seasoned, and has preheated with the oven. It will make the cookies very soft and gooey. I have also used a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper on it and they will bake through a little faster.
Mexican Vanilla is a game changer. Once you have baked with Mexican Vanilla, you will not want to use imitation vanilla again. You can purchase it online, or in Mexican Grocery stores. It is stronger than imitation vanilla, however, I tend to use the amount that recipes call for. If it is stronger than you prefer, you may want to cut the amount in half.
Make ahead and Freeze. I love to pull out freshly baked cookies for my family, and have started placing balls of dough in the freezer to pull out a few at a time when we just want enough for a treat. When frozen, they take a little longer to bake. Bake them at 350 for 11-12 minutes.
Mix it up! If you want to change it up a bit, you can use M & M’s or milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. You could also swap out dried cranberries and white chocolate chips too. There is no limits on what you could do!
Experiment and make this recipe your own with all of your favorite add-in flavors. Your people will taste the love in them as well!
