Contest Worthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've experimented with making a variety of fancy desserts- from Profiteroles with ice cream, Charlotte cakes, cute cupcakes to homemade truffles. However, in my opinion, there is absolutely NOTHING in the world that compares to a delicious freshly made chocolate chip cookie, steaming up the kitchen with their sweet scent and irresistable goey, finger-licking goodness- with a good glass of cold milk!
To get myself "out there" this summer into the food world, I decided to enter the Royal Oak Farmer's Market Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest. I took the contest pretty seriously, testing recipes out on my friends at a weekend BBQ, and on my in-laws the night before the contest. Derek, my brother-in-law (who has a pretty credible palate) acted as my seux chef as we counted out the exact proportion of chocolate chips per cookie- we had it down to a science, that is until we realized that Derek had added baking powder instead of baking soda in the dough- not exactly the biggest deal in the world, unless of course you're entering a chocolate chip cookie contest:) Anyways, the next morning I decided to go with a mix of recipe's to create my own chewy, gooey, perfectly chocolately cookie and took second place at the contest!

Don't ask me who I lost to...okay fine, I lost to a pre teen girl, yeah thanks! Regardless, anytime I've made these cookies, including for a potluck at my husband's office, they've been a total hit! (Nothing like a little humility to keep you humble!) Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

("Dry" Ingredients)

• 3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• a little less than 1 tsp. Salt
• 8 ounces of Chocolate Chips (I prefer semi-sweet, you may also use milk chocolate)
  

("Wet" Ingredients)

• 1 Cup Shortening (I prefer Butter flavored Crisco)
• 6 Tbls. softened butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar (light or dark depending on your preference...the darker the more molasses flavor)
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2-4 tsp. of good Vanilla Extract

First preheat your oven to 375 degrees and place your cookie sheets into the refridgerator while you make the dough (a chilled cookie sheet promotes even baking). Start by mixing together the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a bowl. (I like sifting dry ingredients together because I feel it helps the consistency of the cookies). In another large bowl, using a wisk or handheld mixer, cream together all the wet ingredients. Next, with a wooden spoon, begin to incorporate the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients until a dough forms.

At this point you can dump the chocolate chips into the dough and mix, but for the perfect amount of chocolate in each cookie (or if you're as anal and OCD as I am) you can continue by handrolling 1 1/2 inch balls of dough and incorporating 14 chocolate chips into each ball. Drop them onto the chilled and lightly greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they are nearly golden on top. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack, OR enjoy a cookie right away!!

You Could Also Try...

• I love using my Silpat baking mat on top of my cookie sheets for no mess, no stick and perfect color on the cookies. (No need to grease your Silpat's) http://www.silpat.com/


• Be creative! Throw in some nuts of your choice into the dough, or try white chocolate or caramel chips. The options are endless!
• Remember, a chilled cookie sheet bakes better cookies


• I use a sifter similar to these for my dry ingredients