What could be better than candy and cookies in one? Crisp and crunchy—with nuggets of real sweet chocolate in them.
This recipe is from Marjorie Child Husted (1892 – 1986), who was a home economist, businesswoman, scriptwriter, radio voice artist, and food book publisher. Marjorie attended the University of Minnesota, where she studied home economics and eventually received a degree in Education. She served as the face and voice of the fictitious character Betty Crocker from 1924 (at Washburn–Crosby Company, which became General Mills in 1928). She retired from General Mills in 1950 when she formed the consultancy Marjorie Child Husted and Associates.
Note: Recipe ingredients, time, and temperature will vary with altitude differences in the north and south of Cuernavaca. Please see the article on Temperature Formula and Cooking Implications to achieve success at your unique altitude.
Ingredients
1.5 cups of shortening (including a bit of butter for flavor)
3/8 cup (6 tbsp) of brown sugar
3/8 cup (6 tbsp) of granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/8 cups (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) sifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of nuts (chopped)
1/2 lb. sweet or semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, but not melted (about 1 1/2 cups.
Preparation
Cream the shortening, adding sugar gradually, and cream well. Blend in a well-beaten egg. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and stir into the creamed mixture. Blend in the vanilla, nuts, and pieces of chocolate. This dough may be covered and left in the refrigerator to chill before baking if desired. If the cookies are baked approximately 10 minutes before serving, they will be warm and soft. They will become crispy upon cooling.
Baking
When ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead slightly. Drop a rounded teaspoonful of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto a lightly creased heavy baking sheet or pan.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes (depending on size) in a moderately hot oven (200˚C / 400˚F). Cookies should be soft, flattened, and a very light brown when taken from the oven. They will become crisp upon cooling. Let cookies stand for a minute to cool slightly before taking them from the baking sheet or pan.
This recipe makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies, which are about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
To keep Chocolate Chip Cookies crispy, store them, when cooled, in a can with a loose cover.
All of the ingredients mentioned in this recipe are readily available in Cuernavaca. There are several excellent shops on Calle De Los Arcos, on the north side of Mercado Adolfo López Mateos, and at the long-established supplier for bakers in Cuernavaca, Propan de Morelos / Cuernavaca, Plan de Ayala 717, Vicente Guerrero, 62430 Cuernavaca, Morelos, phone +52 777.484.5465.
Note: As Cuernavaca sits on a mountainside and the elevation changes from north to south, the cooking times will vary. Please see the article: Temperature Formula and Cooking Implications for more information.
