chocolate chip cookies

I had a great weekend in Hilton Head celebrating 4th of July. Besides sitting on the beach all day, I got a chance to eat at Robert Irvine's (star of the Food Network show, Dinner Impossible) restaurant, eat! Considering he is a Food Network chef, the restaurant is very reasonably priced and the food was worth another trip.  My favorite dishes from eat! were the lightly seared tuna with a ginger granita appetizer and the dessert (of course), a sweet potato bread pudding with tabasco ice cream. The tabasco ice cream didn't have a hot sauce pepper spice flavor, it had an intense cinnamon spice flavor that worked perfectly with the sweet potato bread pudding. Mmm mmm I need to get an ice cream maker and come up with my own creations. 

To make the transition back to work easier after the 3-day holiday weekend, I decided some good old- fashioned chocolate chip cookies were necessary. I also used these cookies to try to teach my boyfriend how to use an electric mixer. He did pretty well but it's still a work in progress. Lessons aside, these cookies melt in your mouth (thank you Crisco) with the chewy, soft center and slightly crispy edges. The mixture of both milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips makes these cookies a must-try. The key to these cookies is to slightly under bake them so they stay soft and chewy days after baking.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

makes 18 large cookies

2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 c. (1 stick) butter flavored Crisco

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, room temp

3/4 c. milk chocolate chips

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 


In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking soda. In a larger bowl, beat together Crisco, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Add in one egg at a time and blend until mixed well. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake large cookies for 12-15 minutes or until cookie edges are lightly golden. Do not let top of cookies brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.