Chocolate Chip Cookies-3 Ways
Contributed by Diane S.

                *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                      Chocolate Chip Cookies-3 Ways

Recipe By     : Better Home and Gardens February 1999 pg 180
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Cookies

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Our Best Basic
     1/2  cup           shortening
     1/2  cup           butter
   1      cup           packed brown sugar
     1/2  cup           granulated sugar
     1/2  teaspoon      baking soda
     1/4  teaspoon      salt
   2                    eggs
   1      teaspoon      vanilla
   2 1/2  cups          all-purpose flour
   1 1/2  cups          semisweet chocolate chips
   1      cup           chopped walnuts or pecans
                        Thin-and-Crispy
   1      cup           butter
     3/4  cup           packed brown sugar
     3/4  cup           granulated sugar
     1/2  teaspoon      baking soda
     1/4  teaspoon      salt
   1                    egg
   1      teaspoon      vanilla
   2      cups          all-purpose flour
   1 1/2  cups          semisweet chocolate chips
   1      cup           chopped walnuts or pecans
                        Soft-and-Cakelike
     1/2  cup           shortening
   1 1/2  cups          packed brown sugar
   2                    eggs -- slightly beaten
   1      teaspoon      vanilla
   2 1/2  cups          all-purpose flour
   1      teaspoon      baking soda
     1/2  teaspoon      baking powder
     1/2  teaspoon      salt
   1      carton        dairy sour cream (8 oz)
   1 1/2  cups          semisweet chocolate chips
   1      cup           chopped walnut or pecans

Preheat oven to 375.  For Basic or Thin Cookies, in a bowl beat shortening
and/or butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar,
granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined.  Beat in egg
or eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you
can with the mixer.  With a wooden spoon,stir in remaining flour.  Stir in
chocolate pieces and nuts.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie
sheet. Bake Basic cookies 8 to 10 minutes and Thin cookies 10 to 12 minutes
or until edges are browned.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes 60 cookies.

For Cakelike cookies, in a bowl beat shortening and brown sugar on medium
to high speed until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Alternately add flour
mixture and sour cream to shortening mixture, beating after each addition.
With a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate pieces and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 9
to 11 minutes or until edges are browned.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes 60
cookies.

Nutrition facts per Our Best Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie:  97 cal, 6 g
total fat (2 g sat. fat), 11 mg chol., 38 mg sodium, 11  g carbo., 0 g
fiber and 1 g protein.

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NOTES : A few tweaks to the ingredients in chocolate chip cookies can
dramatically change the outcome.  Want a crispy, thin cookie?  Use an all-
butter dough.  Because butter melts more quickly than shortening in a hot
oven, the dough spreads.  For a puffy cookie, use shortening to keep the
dough from flattening.  Get a softer cookie by sweetening it only with
brown sugar.  Combine butter with granulated sugar for a crisper cookie.
Our tinkering resulted in three versions:  Our Best Basic, Thin-and-Crispy,
and Soft and Cakelike