my signature chocolate chip cookies

Where to even begin...a lot has happened since my last post. I moved to North Carolina, married off both daughters and welcomed two grand daughters since then.  I have been cooking, working, traveling and acclimating to a new geography while loving the role of guh-guh (grandmother).
These cookies are my go to travel cookie...take to a meeting, bake for the family or maybe bake a stack to stash in my luggage for a family vacation.  It is pretty awesome to pull out a yummy chocolate chip cookie from your carry on mid-flight! This recipe is a riff on a recipe from a cookie compilation paperback cookbook originally printed in the 80's.  This cookie is pictured on the book cover.  It is literally the only recipe that I have ever made from this book!  Here we go.

big but not too big and yes crunchy not soft

Ingredients

1 cup organic butter softened

1/2 cup crisco (from the fridge)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs (room temp)

1 tablespoon good vanilla

1 teaspoon fresh  lemon  juice

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Vietnamese is good)

1/2 cup organic oats

2 12 oz packages semi sweet chocolate chips (chunks are even better)

2 cups chopped pecans

Use the stand mixer with paddle and the biggest bowl you have for the mixer. This makes a big batch (I often freeze 1/2 the dough in zip lock bags and take them out to bake when I need them).  Beat butter, crisco, granulated and brown sugar in the mixer on a high speed until very light and fluffy.        ( about 5 minutes).  Add eggs one at a time...beat and scrape the bowl between each egg.  Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.  In another large bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats.  Then with the mixer on low gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in the mixer bowl a cup at a time, blending thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

I chill the dough  for an hour in the fridge before I bake it.  Preheat the oven to 350.  I use a scoop to insure all the cookies come out the same size.  My scoop is Piazza #40 is 1/8 cup. Put scoops of dough on lightly greased cookie sheets (air bake cookie sheets work best) Be careful to leave plenty of room between cookies especially on the first batch until you know how much they spread out.  Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to racks and cool completely before storing in air tight containers.  They keep for weeks but they won't last that long! My latest batch is gone...have to run to the freezer to bake another round after writing this...I need a cookie NOW.