Best Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The following appeared in BGH, Feb-99. I like it because I can make the variety preferred by whomever is visiting that day.

"A few tweaks in the ingredients in chocolate chip cookies can dramatically change the outcome. Want a crispy thin cookie? Use an all-butter dough. Because butter melts more quickly than shortening in a hot oven, the dough spreads. For a puffy cookie, use shortening to keep the dough from flattening. Get a softer cookie by sweetening it only with brown sugar. Combine brown with granulated sugar for a crispier cookie. Our tinkering resulted in three versions: Our Best Basic, Thin-and-Crispy, and Soft-and-Cakelike." By Jeanne Ambrose, BHG

Preheat oven to 375.

FOR BASIC OR THIN COOKIES: in a bowl beat shortening and/or butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt; beat until combined. Beat in egg or eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with a mixer. With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour. (Typists notes:

If you use the bread beaters on your electric mixer, you can skip the wooden spoon.) Stir in chocolate pieces and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake Basic cookies 8-10 minutes, and Thin cookies 10-12 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool on wire rack.

FOR CAKELIKE COOKIES: in a bowl, beat shortening and brown sugar on medium to high speed until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; bean until combined. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to shortening mixture, beating after each addition. With a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate pieces and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool on wire rack.