Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Old Recipe)

These old-school chocolate chip cookies date back to the era when most home bakers reached for shortening, not butter. The result is a cookie with crisp edges, a chewier center, and a slightly higher rise than the all-butter version most people bake today. The vegetable shortening holds its shape in the oven longer, so the cookies don’t flatten into thin discs.

Brown sugar is the only sweetener here, which is what gives these their deep, almost butterscotch flavor and that classic golden tan. A splash of milk loosens the dough just enough to keep the crumb tender. Mixing on low and only briefly once the flour goes in prevents tough gluten development, so resist the urge to beat hard.

Pull the cookies while the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm up significantly during the two-minute rest on the sheet, and that’s how you land at chewy instead of crunchy. Walk away for an extra minute and you’ve made shortbread.

Pro Tips

• Lightly pack the brown sugar, overpacking makes the cookies dense and gummy
• Toast the pecans on a dry sheet pan for 5 minutes before chopping, raw pecans taste flat in baked goods
• Use a tablespoon scoop for uniform cookies, irregular sizes mean uneven baking
• Trust the moist center test, these continue cooking on the hot sheet pan

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts or omit nuts and add an extra half-cup of chocolate chips
• Use half butter, half shortening for a more buttery flavor while keeping the chew
• Sprinkle the warm cookies with flaky sea salt for a modern sweet-salty finish