chocolate chip cookie

PJ Hamel’s classic chocolate chip cookies balance crisp edges with a bendy, chewy centre. Butter, vegetable shortening and two sugars make a creamy dough packed with semisweet chocolate chips.

Light brown sugar, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, shortening, salt, vanilla, optional almond extract, vinegar and baking soda are beaten smooth. Egg is beaten in next, with the bowl scraped to keep the mixture even.

Flour is mixed in, followed by the chips. Small balls of dough are placed apart on greased or paper-lined sheets so there is room for the cookies to spread.

An optional sprinkle of sea salt can add a salty-sweet finish. The cookies bake until their edges are chestnut brown and their tops light golden, then cool on the pan until firm enough to move.

The selected recipe uses semisweet chips, with a larger amount suggested for more chocolate in each bite. Hamel’s mocha and larger-cookie instructions describe separate variations on this classic dough.