Chocolate Chip C O O K I E S

{This post is dedicated to Thomas Almighty and Aunt Al} 

{Fourth of July cookies (made with red, white, & blue m&ms) from earlier this year}

This is my most-requested food item...actually, it's about the only thing ever requested, but you get the point.
Here's the "secret" recipe, for you and the whole world to see:


Ingredients:
4 1/2 C flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 C butter
1 C shortening (butter-flavored)
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 1/2 C choc. chips
1 1/2 C finely chopped pecans


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter, shortening, sugars, and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add eggs. Beat in half the flour mixture until blended, then add the other half and blend. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
The "secret" is actually in the baking. I use Calphalon Baking sheets - not air bake cookie sheets or anything similar. I put small balls of the dough right on the baking sheet, far enough apart that they won't touch, and I bake for 9 1/2 minutes (note: my oven is gas - ovens obviously may vary).
After the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes, I scoop them up with a spatula and lay them out on wax or parchment paper to finish cooling.


I realize everyone knows how to bake chocolate chip cookies, but I just thought I'd share my way!

{That is a mini-spatula I use for cookies - in case you were thinking my baking sheets looked gigantic}