Breezy Bakes: Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's just some things your mom does best, end of story. Let's face it, we're all a little defensive when it comes to our mothers. Don't you remember the cruel days of elementary school when the "your mama's so fat" jokes took flight?! I admit, I may have fallen victim to a few of those jokes, as well as dished out some too. Not proud of it, but somebody's gotta defend mama!

Well there is one thing that I will go down to my grave claiming the truth of, and that is the fact that my mother makes, hands down, the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever. Really, there is no comparison. I'm not even tempted to test out another recipe, that's how good these are. You know what the best part is? No matter when I go home, I can always get my hands on some. My mom keeps a continuous stock of these bad boys in the freezer for such occasions. Ooooh, that reminds me. They're delicious frozen too!

One fun thing that I've learned about this recipe is that the base dough is perfect for making a variety of flavored cookies, rather than just chocolate chip. Instead of pouring chocolate chips into the finished cookie dough, I like to divide it up and mix chocolate chips in one and white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts and flaked coconut in the other. Today I even added a third flavor by adding in a few sprinkles of cinnamon and cinnamon flavored baking chips. Yum!

Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

1 bag chocolate chips

Additional mix ins:

chopped nuts with chocolate chips

white chocolate chips, macadamia nut pieces and flaked coconut

peanut butter flavored chips with chopped peanuts

cinnamon and cinnamon flavored chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar and eggs.

2. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

3. Add flour (make sure to lightly scoop and level off with a knife, so as not to add too much flour) and mix until combined. Dough should be just slightly sticky to the touch.

4. Add in chocolate chips for one flavor variety or divide dough into parts for flavor mix ins. With a wooden spoon, stir in desired mix ins.

5. Scoop batter into 1" balls and place 1" apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown. Do not over bake! That's what makes these oh so delicious.