Vintage Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sam is in his glory. I have not cooked dinner very much the past 2 years (Ada is 2...do you think there is a correlation?). Dinner was usually his domain, and he got really, really good at it, so why put forth the effort? Now that I'm home with Ada I have the opportunity to begin cooking again, something I used to really enjoy - and I can do most of the prep work while Ada is napping.

Some of my favorite bloggers share their yummy recipes, and I always enjoy visiting their sites for great ideas, or at least to peer into the lives of others and see what they put on their dinner table.

I have been having a hard time finding ingredients I like in Richmond, particularly for Tucson-style food (go figure...Latinos make up just under 3% of the population here) - BUT, I found the local "Bodega Latina" and picked up some items that I was looking for the other day. I'd like to share some of the recipes I learned while in Tucson, and others I found in cookbooks, with hopes that you will be adventerous and try them along with me...won't you?

Until then, I leave you with this great Vintage Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from a Vintage baking book that my sister-in-law Melanie (a fellow lover of all things vintage), gave me for the holidays a few years ago. I have always struggled finding a recipe that didn't produce overcooked or hard chocolate chip cookies. I like this recipe and think it's all in the chemistry, which is what baking is all about, isn't it?

Enjoy!

1 Cup shortening

3/4 granulated sugar

3/4 brown suger

2 eggs, beaten

Cream shortening in a med-large bowl with a handmixer. Add sugars gradually, and cream well. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then add to the shortening and sugar, beat well.

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a separate bowl sift the flour and salt together. In a very small bowl combine the hot water with the baking soda until it dissolves. Add both to the creamed shortening mixture. I have been adding the flour mixture first and then adding the baking soda/water mixture. Add the vanilla. Mix together with your hand mixer.

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
14 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Fold the chips and nuts in with a spoon. Once folding is completed, drop dough from a teaspoon (yes, a teaspoon) onto a greased cooky sheet. I recommend using parchment paper for baking on a pampered chef cookie sheet. If you have a regular cookie sheet I would still recommend using the parchment paper. If you don't buy/use parchment paper I think it's worth it and something you'll have for a while if you don't do a lot of baking.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Play with the time - I have found 11 minutes works perfectly. You want these coming out looking not done, if they are brown then you will have a hard cookie.

Last but not least, share with those you love!