Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is basically the traditional Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie recipe that I have made so many times that I have it memorized, but with a few tips at the end to ensure that they turn out perfectly.


Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened*
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 3/4 c. flour 
2 c. chocolate chips

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar.**  Mix in eggs.  Add vanilla.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until incorporated, then mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes.

Notes:
For awhile, I had so much trouble getting this recipe to work out right.  Too often my cookies were just a flat, crunchy mess.  Here are a few things that I think have helped improve my cookies.

*Do not substitute margarine for the butter.  You can use all butter, rather than half butter/ half shortening, but using cheap margarine seems to be a problem.

**Don't skimp on mixing.  Really creaming the butter and sugars together thoroughly before proceeding to the next step really seems to help.

Make sure your baking soda is fresh and measure it well.  This may have been an issue for me in the past.  (I was really exploring all avenues to improve my chocolate chip cookies!)