Sometimes Simple Things Are Just Better

Do you have a number you use every time you exaggerate?  My mom's number is 16.  We knew when she said 16, 16,000, or 16,000,000 she didn't really mean it.   For me my number changes.  But my mom's has been constant.  After moving to Colorado, I was helping in the kitchen and was told to use 16 eggs in a recipe.  I found that a bit funny and wondered at first if they were exaggerating.  But actually the recipe did call for 16 eggs.  

The recipe that called for 16 eggs was Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies were a big part of being a kid for me.  My mom made them a lot.  I can recall seeing piles of chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen counter so many afternoons.  I loved walking into the house to smell cookies baking.  My mom had a secret to her cookies.  It was a secret she was to pass down to her daughters.  Somehow, I have yet to be given this secret.  So I make my cookies by the recipes that required 16 eggs.  However, I don't use 16 eggs.


Although eating cookies is comforting and takes me back to being a kid, the best part of making cookies is not eating the finished product.  The best part of making cookies is eating the cookie dough while baking them.  My grandmother would have a fit if she heard me say that.  Always warning I would get sick and die from eating the raw eggs.  But I always disregarded her warning and ate away.  


The recipe I got in Colorado calls for pecans, semisweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, but I think sometimes simple things are just better.  I like basic milk chocolate chip cookies.  I will also give you the variation with the pecans and white chocolate chips.


Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup Shortening
1 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour*
1 - 12 oz bag milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350.  Cream shortening and sugars in a mixer.  Add vanilla & eggs and mix.  Add soda & salt, mix.  Slowly mix in flour.   Add all chocolate chips all at once.  Once you have added the chips, mix as little as possible.  Mixing will break up the chips and turn dough dark which you do not want.  I often hand mix the chips in.
Make golf ball sized balls and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the cookies begin to turn light brown.


*If you live above 4000 ft in elevation, you may need to add up to 1/4 cup of flour and bake them a little longer.  I live at 4500 ft and I add 1/8 cup extra flour.  At 8500 ft we added 1/4 cup extra flour.


To make the Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies:
substitute 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips for the milk chocolate chips
add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans