If you’re patient and can wade through the following photos, then you’ll be rewarded with my Aunt Ruthie’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. She recorded it for me on an old grocery list and the title read exactly as it’s listed above. I’ve made the cookies so many times in the last few weeks that I could do without them for some time (and that’s saying something because I love me some cookies).
Prior to becoming a mother I romanticized the notion of cooking with my small child. What I didn’t foresee was the reality of kid fingers double-dipping in the dough, a little mouth eating straight from the mixing bowl when Mommy’s back was turned, and copious amounts of flour dusting the kitchen floor. Note to future mothers: cooking with your child also takes a lot more time than cooking by yourself! However, when Liv and I do cook together, I’m always rewarded by two things. One, the chance for a decent photo opp. And two, the opportunity for me to get better, with clear boundaries and more patience, at instructing and oftentimes disciplining my child. Apparently human beings aren’t born with the knowledge that they should never double dip! Imagine that.
After lots of baking with Liv by my side, I learned that she likes flour. Here’s my little helper with her very own pile:
And here’s my little helper patting it into just the right shape for…
licking off the counter.
Now, doesn’t that look yummy? I mean really, who WOULD’NT want to eat straight flour?
Ah, my goofy girl. And just so you know, I’m sparing you the photos with Liv’s tongue stuck out. She’s into that kind of thing these days, the tongue-sticking out thing. Will that phase be ending anytime soon?
You’ve been patient. So without further ado, I give you my Aunt Ruthie’s cookie recipe.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 C brown sugar
- 2 C white sugar
- 1.5 C Crisco
- 1 t baking soda
- 2 t salt
- 3 t baking powder
- 4 t vanilla
- 4 C flour
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mix ingredients.
- Stir in 1 package chocolate chips.
Notes
- For the best chocolate chocolate chips, add one large package of instant chocolate pudding mix.
- This recipe makes a lot of dough! You can roll the extra dough into foil and freeze until you need it.
- One more thing. If you’re using large eggs, add another half cup of flour to the dough.
- Want to know how long to bake the cookies? I had to guess on this one. It’s approximately 10 minutes, mas o menos.
- Aunt Ruthie, I hope you don’t mind me sharing your recipe with the world…
14 Comments
Monica Aug 27, 2008 5:25 AM
I have a recipe similar to this that I love!
Oh, how I understand the cooking with little ones thing. I, too, had highly romantic views of how charming it would be to cook with my sweet girls. Ahem. Right now, we just don’t do it very often! And, preferably only when I need to clean the floor anyway! :)
adam Aug 27, 2008 7:54 AM
A reminder, Gentle Readers, that there is a reason kindergarten teachers love to bake with their students: baking sanitizes all the ingredients that went into the mix. This is especially true of cakes and pies if you cook them long and hot, but I’m told it’s even true of cookies, too. I wouldn’t worry about the double dipping, the sneezing, the odd addition of some human… byproduct… ((shudder)).
Mrs. Wittmann Aug 27, 2008 8:12 AM
I tip I learned a while back was to crack your eggs into the measuring cups you are going to use for your Crisco. Then you coat the inside of the measuring cups with egg, dump the egg into another bowl, and measure out your Crisco into said cups. The Crisco slides right out and clean up is a breeze.
Thank you. I’ll be here all week.
floreksa Aug 27, 2008 9:03 AM
Ally loves baking with me too. Her favorite part seems to be making sure all the dry ingredients have been sufficiently patted down for no particular reason.
Oh and we’ve got the double dipping going on too! ;)
Rebecca Aug 27, 2008 12:02 PM
I consider myself in good company among Monica and Sarah!
Adam, I especially like your link (Google, “big brother”). Nice.
Erin Aug 27, 2008 1:07 PM
My little one is a fan of flour too…which I think is a bit gross because it’s so dry and doesn’t really have a taste. But he can’t help himself when there is a bowl of flour in front of him. I would rather wait until the good stuff…cookie dough.
Lindsey Aug 27, 2008 2:27 PM
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that all good chocolate chip cookies have crisco in them (mine do). I like to sprinkle the tiniest bit of sea/kosher salt on top of my choc. chip cookies. Is that weird?
Sarah B. Aug 27, 2008 9:47 PM
What?!?! I’m not supposed to double-dip?? Ha! :)
Cute photos, awesome lookin cookie recipe. Gotta love all those eggs and crisco in it! And my 4 year is suddenly into the “tongue-sticking out” phase for picture, too! It must be some gene that kicks in when they’re 4.
Sarah M Aug 28, 2008 9:02 AM
Ya know I never knew double dipping was wrong until I got married….and my ILs said, “Hey! What are you doing?” in that Seinfeld way…. (I still do it when they’re not looking, haha!!)
Bethany Aug 29, 2008 9:34 AM
Lindsey – Lots of people do the sea salt on choc. chip cookies thing, so don’t worry; it’s not weird.
Also, the NYT claims they found the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and it has no Crisco. (And it does have sea salt.) Apparently the secret is letting it chill for a long time, but I haven’t been ambitious enough to test it yet.
Jan Aug 29, 2008 12:14 PM
We gave ’em a try and they are great. I’ve already given several platefuls to neighbors and friends!
Lorin Edison Aug 31, 2008 8:11 PM
Hi Rebecca,
I got your letter, thanks for the note. It was good to hear from you, I am glad to hear you are doing well! Call me if you get the opportunity, love to chat!
Lorin
Sarah B. Sep 10, 2008 6:38 PM
Tried this recipe a few weeks back…yum! And you were not exaggerating when you said it made a lot of dough. I froze 2 batches of dough for future baking/consumption. Better if I only have a couple dozen cookies sittin’ around, rather than, like 6 dozen!
skoenig Sep 24, 2008 12:29 PM
i love these three pics of livia…the way her hair falls always makes me envious. and the light coming in from the right – so great. the licking one is of course the favorite. way to capture, RT.