The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever

This one is from Kristi, who I visit teach:

My mom clipped this recipe out of a newspaper in like the 20's or something. It's the recipe we have always used and is, in my humble opinion, the best chocolate chip cookie out there (I am sure you all have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe as well).

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:

½ cup of white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 t vanilla
1 C brown sugar, well packed
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups of flour
1t baking soda
1 t salt
1 C choc chips

Cream together shortening, sugar, vanilla, eggs. Add salt and soda, mix well. Add 1 ¼ cups of the flour, mix well. Add the last cup of flour and mix by hand, add choc chips and mix by hand. Bake @ 350 for 7-10 minutes. The trick to these cookies is to not over bake them. Pull them out when they first start to crack on top or are just barely turning golden. You will not be disappointed. Well, if you over cook them you might be, so don't.

Double Chocolate Cookies

1 package (18.25 oz) plain* devil's food cake mix
1/3 cup water
4 Tbl. (1/2 stick) butter, melted (do not substitute margerine or it won't taste the same)
1 large egg
6 oz (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

*Plain cake mix has no added pudding. Duncan Hines brand meets this criterion, and so do some store brands.

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets with solid shortening. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, water, melted butter, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat 1 more minute. Cookie dough will be thick. Fold in the chips and nuts.

3. Drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Place in oven. If both sheets won't fit on the center rack, place one sheet on top and one in the center and rotate them halfway through the baking time.

4. Bake until set but soft in the center, 10-12 minutes. Remove pans from oven, let cookies rest on the cookie sheets for 1 minute. Remove with a metal spatula to cooling racks, let cool for 20 minutes. (I don't think we have ever had enough self-restraint to let them cool that long.)

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas or whenever you need an excuse to get out the Cookie Cutters (Fourth of July, maybe)!

1/2 Butter (One Stick)

1 Cup White Sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

3 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

Chill dough at least an hour. Roll out 1/2 inch thick. Bake 400 degrees, 8-12 min.