The Ultimate Cookie

These chocolate chip cookies are built for people who want a wide, chewy cookie with crispy edges. Golden-flavored shortening instead of butter means a softer dough that spreads more in the oven, giving you those thin, bakery-style cookies with lacy, caramelized rims.

All brown sugar (no white) deepens the caramel flavor and adds moisture that keeps the centers chewy. Creaming it with shortening for a full two minutes builds air into the dough, which gives the cookies a slightly puffed center that deflates into the ideal chewy texture as they cool.

Two full teaspoons of vanilla is generous, but brown sugar cookies can handle it. The vanilla rounds out the molasses notes in the brown sugar and ties the chocolate and pecans together.

They will look underdone when you pull them out. That’s right. The directions specifically say they’ll appear moist, and that’s how you get a chewy cookie. They firm up on the sheet during the two-minute rest.

Kitchen Tips

• Leave 3 inches between cookies; they spread significantly and will merge if too close
• Bake only 6-9 per sheet for even heat circulation
• A two-tablespoon scoop per cookie gives you the proper bakery size

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts or use a mix of both
• Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on each cookie right after baking
• Use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a more intense chocolate flavor