Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Chewy chocolate cookies.jpg

This is my second most popular cookie recipe, after chocolate chip cookies. It's a Hershey's recipe that I've tweaked a bit. I like using white chocolate chips, but it's also great with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. You may even want to try it with the cherry chips you can find in the baking aisle for a chocolate-covered-cherry version.

1 1/4 cups Butter Flavor Crisco

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12-ounce package) baking chips -- white, chocolate, peanut butter or combo

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream Crisco and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt (can be mixed in smaller bowl first, if you'd like; I just never do that step) and mix well. Stir in baking chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.