It has taken me years to get this one right.

Yield:  3-4 dozen cookies (depending on size)

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips (you decide how much you like!)

1/2 cup walnuts (optional – my husband doesn’t like nuts so I rarely make them that way, but they are GOOD with walnuts!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and shortening with sugars.  Add the beaten egg and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.  Don’t be afraid to kick that mixer speed up and dance a little jig!  Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda and slowly add to your awesomely fluffy butter/sugar mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).  Drop by rounded tablespoon (or roll into 1 inch balls) on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  If you forget to set the timer and it goes longer than about 9-10 minutes you will not have created the perfect cookie.  The key to ALL cookies is the time in the oven.  So watch carefully and remove promptly.  Let cool for a few minutes and then remove cookies from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Please use a good metal spatula for this job…there is just no place in baking for weird plastic spatulas (aka pancake turners)…just say no.  Grab a hot cup of coffee or cold glass of milk and enjoy the fruits of your labor!!