Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe you may be asking...and I would have to say NO!  These cookies are special.  They are amazing.  The are THE chocolate chip cookie of the chocolate chip cookie world.  Super fluffy without being cake-y (yes, that's a word, I'm sure of it).  Lots of chocolate chips for your gooey pleasure.  Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Why?  One special ingredient.  What I'm about to tell you may shock some of you or thrill others.  The ingredient?  Bacon lard.  Seriously.  I don't know what it does to the cookies to make them amazing, but something magical happens once bacon fat is added.  And for those healthier minded people (no worries...I'll join you on Jan 1st), it's only a tablespoon (and probably better for you than other man made shortenings...I don't know.  I'm just assuming.).  You don't even taste it.  I promise.  Just try it.  You'll be soooooooo happy you did!

Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

(I did not come up with this cookie recipe on my own...although I wish I did!  You can find the amazing original recipe here: Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies...gotta give credit for pure awesomeness where it's due!)

1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
1 tbsp bacon lard/fat
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

In a stand mixer (or hand mixer), add butter, brown sugar, sugar, and bacon lard.  Mix until creamy.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla.  Mix in the flour until a dough forms.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 375F until edges are golden brown.

Add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and bacon fat in the stand mixer.  Mix until creamy.

 

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Then add in the baking soda, salt and vanilla.  As you can see in my picture, I am using my homemade vanilla extract!  I made this up in September with a bottle of vodka (3 cups vodka) and about 14 vanilla beans.  This is my first time using it and let me just say, WOW!!!  The flavor is amazing!!!!  So, I'm not adding vodka to the cookies...it's vanilla, I promise.

 

Add the flour and mix until the dough is formed (pic 1).  Then stir in the chocolate chips.  I usually chill the dough for about a 1/2 hr before baking, but I had 2 little cookie monsters trying to eat the cookie dough, so I just made some.  They are just as good.  I usually chill them so that they can be even fluffier, but as you can see in the final picture, they were still pretty fluffy.

 





Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a non-stick cookie sheet.  If you want thick cookies the trick is to make tall cookies...like in the pic.  Don't smoosh them down or flatten them.  As they cook, they will flatten but will finish cooking before becoming too spread out.  Bake at 375F for about 10-14 minutes or just until the edges turn golden brown and the centers are set.

 

 

This recipe makes quite a bit of cookie dough.  I don't usually make dozens of cookies at once, simply because I would then be forced to eat them all.  So, I cook 5 or 6 at one time and freeze the rest of the dough.  Just plop the dough out on some plastic wrap, roll it up, and put in the freezer.

 

Roll up the dough into a log shape, just like the pre-made cookie dough at the store, and then freeze.  Then, when you want a cookie or two, just cut/spoon off enough to make a cookie.  No need to thaw out the dough, just put it in the oven at 375F and cook the same as you would thawed cookie dough.  It might take an extra minute or two, but not much longer, so watch them.

 

 

Have a cookie, or two, and some milk.  These will easily become your favorite cookie.

Enjoy.

 

 

Happily Homemade

Sandra