Janet's Chocolate Chip Cookies

A no-fuss chocolate chip cookie recipe that gets its character from the fat blend: half margarine (or butter) and half shortening. The shortening is the trick. It has a higher melting point than butter, so the cookies hold their shape and stay thicker, while the margarine adds buttery flavor and just enough spread to keep them from going dry.

The ‘remove slightly underdone’ instruction is the most important line in the directions. Pulled at the just-set stage with edges golden and centers still soft, these finish cooking on the baking sheet from residual heat. Cookies that look done in the oven are already overbaked by the time they cool.

Brown sugar at twice the white sugar is what makes them chewy. The molasses in brown sugar is hygroscopic, which is just a fancy way of saying it pulls in and holds moisture. The result is cookies that stay soft for days instead of going crisp overnight.

Mixing in order without separating wet and dry is unusual but works for this recipe because the fat-to-flour ratio is forgiving. Don’t overmix once the flour goes in.

A single cup of chocolate chips is restrained by modern standards, but it’s enough that every bite gets one or two and the cookie itself can still be tasted.

Pro Tips

• Use parchment-lined baking sheets, not greased. The fat content is high enough already.
• Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, spaced 2 inches apart. They spread.
• Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for the most even browning.
• For thicker cookies, chill the dough 30 minutes before scooping. The cold fat slows spread.

Variations

• Use all butter for a richer, more spreading cookie that’s chewier through the middle.
• Add a half cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for the classic toll-house style.
• Stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder with the dry ingredients to deepen the chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste.