best chocolate chip cookies ever

fresh out of the oven!

we added raisins for my dear mom - she loves them!

So, I've made A LOT of chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime and I know what a good cookie tastes like! But, I decided to branch out and try a new recipe and I am SO GLAD I did - these cookies are soooo good. I ate so many....

Anyway, special thanks to Penniesonaplatter!

Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

Yield: 3 dozen medium-sized cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco stick
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (I use 3 cups)
12 oz package semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars, butter and Crisco.  Mix with the paddle attachment until thoroughly combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Add pudding mix; stir until incorporated.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the baking soda and salt.  Blend into the egg mixture.

Add additional flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. I use a total of 3 cups flour.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheet.  (To achieve a more round, cleaner look, roll the balls of cookie dough in your hand instead of just dropping on the cookie sheet.)  Bake exactly 10 minutes.  The cookies may not look done, but that is the trick to keeping them puffy and soft.  Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet on top of cooling racks for 5 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on the cooling racks.