Cape Cod Chocolate Chip Cookies!

CAPE COD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I wish I could say this recipe evolved from a wonderful experience enjoying these cookies on a vacation on the Cape, but no. This is a recipe I made up in my head and then executed last week for my regular Weekend Platters that I deliver to friends in the area. Happily, it was a success first time out! This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe with the additions – to make it Cape Coddy - of dried cranberries and crushed Cape Cod Potato Chips.

They were a HUGE hit for all who tried them, especially my BF Russ who is a die-hard oatmeal raisin cookie fan (you'd never know his fondness for cookies by looking at him - he's 6'4" and no body fat!). He loved these so much he ate 8 of the remaining large cookies over 3 days this past weekend. He took the last one “to go” when we said good-bye on Sunday 'til the next time. It’s a good thing he did or I would have devoured it the minute he drove away!

Last Weekend's Platter: these cookies, banana bread muffins, blondie bars, and blueberry scones! 

CAPE COD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Have a ¼ cup measure or ice cream scoop ready for portioning out cookies

Ingredients:

(makes about 24, 4-inch cookies) 

12 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, a bar and a half

4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening (I know, but it is a small amount and provides a necessary light quality)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use vanilla bean paste, pricey but worth it)

2 large eggs

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet or darker chocolate chip morsels

¾ cup dried cranberries (I used a 6 oz. pouch)

1 cup coarsely crushed Cape Cod Potato Chips (regular flavor) – I put chips in a quart-sized zip bag and hit it a few times with a rolling pin to about ½ inch sized pieces so they don’t get lost in the dough.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and shortening for a minute or two.

Add both sugars and mix very well until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and crushed potato chips.

Using a levered ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measure, portion out dough on parchment-lined cookie sheets or baking pans. Leave a couple of inches between cookies, and squash each portion down a bit with a couple of fingers to flatten them out so they bake evenly. I get 8 cookies per standard cookie sheet.  You can reuse the parchment paper for the next batch.

Note: I keep two racks in the center of the oven, one just a few inches above the other. I bake two pans at a time and rotate them with about 3 minutes to go. This may seem a little OCD. If you don’t want to do that, just bake one pan at a time in the center of the oven.

Set timer for 10 minutes and check. What you want to see is a browning beginning around the edges and the middle still looks pale but not wet (see photo above). I always have to add a minute or two but it depends on your oven.

Cool pans on rack for a few minutes and then move cookies to racks to cool completely.  They can then be stored in an air-tight container or zip bags.