Mini Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies

I served really good food last night to a house-full of friends and relatives. A big hit were the mini chocolate chip almond cookies. There are none left! This is a great cookie - crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. My adaptation of the traditional Toll House recipe has proportionately more brown sugar than white, which makes for a chewier cookie. It also uses half butter/half shortening rather than all butter. You may want to resist shortening, but don't for this. It is key to the perfect texture of this cookie. Slivered almonds give these a nice crunch.

Mini Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup shortening (don't substitute butter, it will change the texture)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Beat sugars with butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Toss dry ingredients together with a fork and add to sugar mixture. Mix until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and slivered almonds.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls. Place two inches apart on cookie sheets. Slightly flatten balls with two fingers, just to level them off a bit. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they just begin to brown around edges. Don't let them bake too long!


Photo credit: http://img4.southernliving.com/i/2009/02/chocolate-delights/chocolate-chip-cookies-l.jpg