My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

It is no secret: I. love. sweets. Anyone who knows me, at all, knows sugar is my nemesis. I am not ashamed to admit it; and I damn sure don’t hide it! 🙂

Reason number 2472842635987365 I love the holidays — an excuse to bake all the good stuff.

And speaking of good stuff, I’m sharing the absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe with y’all today.

Yea, I know…everyone says their recipe is the best. But really, I have friends and family who beg for these cookies. I’ve made them at least 25 times; and I’ve tweaked the recipe about a dozen times to get them juuuuussttttt right.

There’s seven little secrets to these magical cookies…

Secret #1… Good vanilla! (It’s 20% off right now at Williams-Sonoma.)

Secret #2… Half shortening, half butter. (Learned this from my mom. The shortening gives these cookies just the right amount of richness.)

Secret #3… Vegetable Oil. (The oil makes these cookies soft, but still perfectly crisp on the outside.)

Secret #4… Corn starch. (Ever wondered how bakeries get their cookies so thick? Corn starch. It also evens out the shortening/oil ratio in this recipe.)

Secret #5… Mini chocolate chips. (Everyone has their preference, but I LOVE the mini chips. It’s the perfect amount of chocolate. Some chocolate chip cookies are overwhelmingly-chocolatey, but these are just right. You can always use regular chips, if you prefer.)

Secret #6… Chilling the dough. (Some recipes call for an hour of chilling. I say at least two hours in the fridge. Or if you’re in a hurry, 45 minutes in the freezer. Chilling the dough will keep these cookies nice and thick. Because of the oil, these cookies will spread if you skip the chilling process!)

Secret #7… Double-stacked scoops. (Using a cookie scoop will change your life, and this one is 20% off with free shipping! Just use the code MERRY at checkout.)

I bake my cookies on a Silpat liner, but parchment paper works just as well. Here’s a Silpat liner for 20% off + free shipping! (Use code MERRY at checkout.)

[recipe] [recipe title=”Fit is Chic’s Chocolate Chip Cookies” servings=”Baker’s Dozen” time=”2 hr 45 min” difficulty=”Easy”]

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (softened, not melted)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tablespoons canola (or vegetable) oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs (room temp.)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if you use salted butter)
• 2 heaping teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Part 1
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, oil and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix until combined. Add in baking soda and corn starch, and half of the flour, and then mix well. Add in the rest of the flour, and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, cover dough, and chill for at least two hours.

Part 2
Preheat oven to 350. Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheet; two scoops per cookie. Just pile one scoop of dough right on top of the other! Bake 10-13 minutes depending on your desired doneness. If you like yours with a litter more crunch, go ahead and bake them for 13 minutes. If you like them super soft, 10 minutes is perfect. Pull them from the oven when the edges are barely golden, and the centers look a tiiiiiiiny undercooked. Leave them on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

**WARNING: These cookies are even better the second day![/recipe]

If you are desperate for a last-minute Christmas gift, these cookies are better than anything you’ll find in a store; I promise. 🙂

Happy baking, friends! Xo

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