Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs (I use large eggs)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1-1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Grease a cookie sheet (I use canola oil pan spray).

2. 2

   Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir lightly.

3. 3

   In a separate, larger mixing bowl, cream the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar thoroughly. Crack in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well to combine.

4. 4

   Begin adding the dry mixture to the shortening mixture. Add about 1/4 or 1/3 of the dry mixture at a time, thoroughly blending each addition of flour into the shortening before adding the next.

5. 5

   If you like a hint of cinnamon in your cookies, add 1/2 teaspoon now (I think its an excellent addition: not so much that anyone notices the cinnamon taste, but it gives the cookies a little more flavor). Stir in the cinnamon.

6. 6

   Add the chocolate chips and mix into the dough until they are evenly distributed.

7. 7

   Spoon golf-ball sized mounds of dough onto the baking sheet: I make 12 per tray.

8. 8

   Bake in the 375 oven for about 10 minutes. Just in case, I would check them once after 8 minutes, and allow them up to 12.

9. 9

   Remove from the oven when the cookie centers are just set but still soft, and the edges are just browning. Cool on the tray for about 5 minutes, them remove to a cooling rack if you have one, otherwise a plate will be fine.

10. 10

    Just don't stack them on top of one another while they are still soft!

11. 11

    Enjoy!