After School Chocolate Chip Cookies

Danny is 17 and believes in chocolate chip cookies with all his heart.  It has come from years and years of being indoctrinated after school by a very specific chocolate chip cookie. He doesn't know how easy it is to make, that's my little secret.  But I do love making cookies for my kids.

I think before you can talk cookie--or in this case share a cookie recipe--you sort of have to set some fundamental cookie rules. It's important for any reader to know that, while I like dark chocolate and have been known to bake with semi-sweet morsels now and then, I am definitely a milk chocolate kind of girl.  Additionally it is important to note that I am loyal to a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I have often tried a new recipe only to find out that it's too "cake" like or "crispy".  This cookie is soft and chewy, a bit salty and loaded with chocolate chips.  Sometimes I toss in white chocolate chips, sometimes peanut butter chips and if I feel domestic a dip them halfway in melted chocolate.  What I love most about this recipe is that it's a small batch and I am in and out in under an hour which makes it the perfect cookie for an after school snack.  And because I whip these babies up in a bowl with a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease the clean up just seems simpler.

In this recipe I use shortening, it keeps the dough soft and if you take a look up here you won't see vanilla.  What?! No vanilla? I forgot to add it one day and found that I really liked the flavor of the dough better without it so...no vanilla here.  If you love vanilla add a bit.

Cream the sugars and shortening together until it's nice and creamy and then add the egg, stirring the dough until you can't tell you added the egg, about 20 strokes.  Add the salt and baking soda followed by the flour.    

Stir until the flour is incorporated and then add all those happy little chocolate chips!   These I just fold gently into the dough and then using a cookie scoop, put 12 balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet or pizza stone.

After placing them on an ungreased, cool cookie sheet I like to push them down gently with my fingers and sprinkle just a bit of sea salt on top.  

Pushing them down just seems to keep them from flattening out too much which gives them that crispy edge that I don't care for. I also bake just a few the first round so that I can see if they need more flour to keep their shape.  Most of the time they don't.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 minutes.  Cool on your cookie sheet for about two minutes before transferring to a wire rack.  They are fast, easy and delicious and they make my house smell like "home" when the kids come through the door.  These are the perfect after school chocolate chip cookie.


After School Chocolate Chip Cookies      Sweet Suppertime

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white super
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugars together.  Add egg and stir.  Add soda and salt evenly over the dough and stir until well incorporated.  Add flour and once the flour is absorbed into the dough fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls or use a cookie sheet to drop 12 balls of dough onto a cool, ungreased cookie sheet or stone.  Press the dough down lightly with your fingers and top with a few sprinkles of sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until edges are turning golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack.