chocolate chippers by King Arthur

Today I am trying their chocolate chip cookies which is pretty much the standard, only with the addition of vinegar and I have gotten into the habit of sprinkling sea salt on top of most cookies before baking. Here's the recipe, straight from King Arthur himself.

2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. almond extract
1 t. vinegar, cider or white
1 t. baking soda
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375. LIghtly grease or line with parchment two or more baking sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, vanilla, and almond extracts, vinegar, and baking soda, beating until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg, again beating til smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour, then the chips.

Use a spoon or a tablespoon cookie scooop to scoop 1-1/2" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them on all sides...they'll spread.

Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, til their edges are chestnut brown and their tops are light golden brown, almost blonde. Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan til they've set enough to move without breaking....yields 3 dozen.

PS...remember to sprinkle the top of the dough with sea salt before baking.

ok...the first pan is out of the oven, cooled enough to set, and put on a cooling rack...but I couldn't wait. They did spread a bit, but are SO Amazingly soft! A hint of the almond and I love the hint...but if you would prefer the usual flavor, skip the almond and only use vanilla.