Crisco Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I grew up using Crisco as shortening in baking. I've posted about this white goopy stuff which is a pure vegetable shortening. As a girl, I made lots of pie crusts with Crisco. Butter was always my choice, and lard was not an alternative in my childhood home. Actually all these shortenings make great pie crusts.. just different.

According to Wikipedia, Crisco is a brand of shortening produced by the J. M. Smucker Co. popular in the United States. Introduced in June 1911 by Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil. While the term Crisco is commonly used as a synonym for all shortening, Procter and Gamble markets olive, cooking, and baking oil and a cooking spray under that trademark.

Over the years, there were lots of Crisco pamphlets and cookbooks distributed as marketing incentives. So, today I'm posting this retro recipe for "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies" from Crisco. The recipe calls for "Butter Flavor Crisco all-vegetable shortening." Of course you can always substitute real butter.

CRISCO ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
3/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco all-vegetable shortening
1-1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)*

*If nuts are omitted, add an additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Directions
Heat oven to 375°F. Place sheets of foil on counter top for cooling cookies.
Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture.
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.