Chocolate chip cookies are like the king of all cookies. I mean there are a lot of really good cookies out there, but I think they all are held to a standard: “is it better than a chocolate chip?” Ask a kid what there favorite cookie is; I bet nine times out of ten it’s a chocolate chip. Needless to say, you’ve got to have a chocolate chip recipe in your repertoire.

Makes 22-24 using a 2″ cookie scoop (ice cream scoops work too!)

As organic as possible:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (rounded) sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs beaten

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 10 oz bag large chocolate chips (I <3 Simple Truth organic) or 2 cups regular choc chips

Preheat oven to 375. Beat shortening and butter in a large bowl with electric mixer (or old-fashioned muscle power works too). Add brown sugar, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides as needed. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour scoops at a time. If too much for a machine, finish mixing by hand until all flour is incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop cookies onto a baking sheet leaving about 2″ of space in between globs for room to spread. We like large cookies! So to accommodate our cookie love we use a large scoop, but smaller scoops work too; just lessen your baking time. For large cookies, bake about 12-14 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown and the center is still soft.

Baking cookies is easy! And it’s fun to do with your kids!  It’s pretty hard to mess up (unless you forget them in the oven).