Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Here is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that I promised to you guys. This recipe was given to me by Betty Miles. My Uncle Scott & Aunt Peggy introduced us to the Miles as they were dear family friends of theirs from back in the day during grad school in the Air Force. When we first moved out here to Colorado Springs with the help of my parents, we stayed at the Miles house for a few days while we looked for an apartment. One of the things Betty became known for was always having some kind of homemade cookies out on a plate. The Miles family have now become dear family friends as well to me and Caleb. They are our "adoptive Colorado parents."

Here's Betty's famous chocolate chip cookies (I love her note at the bottom because it is the key to chewy cookies! Let them finish cooking on the pan). Also my favorite addition to these cookies are shredded coconut. I love coconut and it gives them a more unique tasty flavor with the chocolate.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (At high altitudes here in CO you'll probably want more flour closer to 2 3/4 -3 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 12 oz package NESTLES chocolate chips (or 2 cups)

Directions:
Cream with beaters butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix again. The dough should be forming together. Finally stir in chocolate chips. Betty writes, "I am often disappointed in the flavor of other chocolate chps, so Nestles is my preference). Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: I would start with 2 1/2 cups of our flour and adjust if needed. If the first batch of cookies flatten out, a little more flour is needed. You can remove from oven just as a bit of brown is seen on the cookies, bit they don't need to look done unless you want crispy cookies. They can sit on cookie sheet for about 5-6 minutes to finish baking. Then remove to a cooling rack.

Additions: (Add in when you add the chocolate chips)

1/2 - 1 cup of shredded coconut 

1/2 - 1 cup of chopped pecans