Michelle Obama's Chocolate Chip Cookies

For this recipe, I recommend using toasted pecans tossed in butter. They're perfectly fine without them, but I think any sort of nut really enhances this recipe, which is just a variation on the Toll House recipe. For the traditional flavor, stick with Nestle Toll House chips. Even though there are a lot of really good brands of chocolate chips, I think Nestle's have the most nostalgic taste.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southern

Keyword Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings

Author Anna

Cost 5

Ingredients

1 cup pecan halves feel free to use more plus a teaspoon of butter
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (weigh for best results) (285 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup salted butter, softened (114 grams)
½ cup Crisco (96 grams Crisco)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs**
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they start to release their oil. Toss the pecans with butter and let them cool, then chop them up. Set aside.
Adjust oven heat to 375 degrees F.
In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, Crisco, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. With mixer on low, add the eggs and beat on low just until mixed -- don't beat a lot of air into the batter.
By hand, or if using a stand mixer use the paddle on low, stir in the flour mixture.
When flour is blended, stir in the chips and nuts.
Drop batter by tablespoons (I use a medium cookie scoop these days) onto ungreased or regular foil lined baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

I like to use slightly less than two large eggs, which means cracking the eggs into a little cup, mixing them up and weighing out about 90 grams. Feel free to ignore the egg shenanigans, but I think the cookies are better with less egg.