Doesn't it hurt a little to give out your very best recipes? I do it, but I feel as if I'm parting with something special.

If I give out a recipe I enjoy it to be in the form of someone eating it, that way I do not feel as though I am simply giving it out, but am sharing it. Unfortunetely I cannot have everyone over for dinner.

No. I don't mind giving out recipes. I don't tend to repeat many dishes so it really isn't that big of a deal to me.

I am always passing out my recipes around the office. I was accepted to Johnson & Wales out of high school but chose to leave cooking as a hobby. I'm glad I did since cooking is something that I still find enjoyable. I feared it would cease to be fun if I made a career out of it.

TCK

Yeah, its kinda like giving something personal away, something you've tweaked over the years to your personal taste and reached your personal level of "perfection" so to speak. I love to cook and enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, I've much to learn, (recently I've learned that sugar is flammable, but thats an entirely different post) and that's the fun part. I guess worse case scenario is finding your recipe prepackaged and sitting on a Wegman's shelf..... hmmm, hey, anybody got any good cookie recipes??

I have no problems sharing recipes. It is more fun to have folks over and wow them and enjoy the food with them for sure, but, sometimes that is impossible or impractical (due to geographic reasons mainly).

So, I will try to give as many recipes as I get from here.

Let me be very clear here: I am releasing the recipe for the greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies of all time. Period.

You'll need:

- 2 sticks Parkay
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cp. white granulated sugar (Pack it down!)
- 3/4 cp. brown sugar (Get Domino or a good brand! Pack it down!)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cps. plus 1 Tbs. Gold Medal presifted flour. I will not tolerate any other brand. Note: tap the bottom of the 1 cp. measure on the countertop a couple of times after you fill it to let flour settle in the cup for more accurate measuring.)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 12 oz. bags Nestle choc chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Zap 2 sticks margarine in good size microwave-proof bowl for 35 seconds to soften. Beat the white and brown sugars into the soft margarine with a fork. Break 1 egg into a cup and beat a couple times with a fork. Add the egg and 1 tsp. vanilla extract to margarine and sugar mixture; Use a lg. spoon to beat this sugar mixture until VERY smooth until it's an even tan/caramel color. Spend some time on this step!

Stir flour, salt, & baking soda together in separate bowl and add to creamy margarine mixture; stir until completely blended.

Add the bag of chocolate chips. Stir in.

Drop by mounded teaspoonsful on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake no longer than 10 minutes at 350 degrees. These cookies should be slightly underdone and gooey -- the best! Hard cookies are dog food.

"Hmm, this sounds just like the classic recipe on the bag of the Nestle chocolate chips!", you might be saying. Incorrect. There are slight variations that make all the difference. Honestly, I think that microwaving the margarine to soften is the secret and really beating those 1st five ingredients until well blended.

Enjoy!

And what wine would you pair with these cookies

wine & cookies?

ice cold whole milk!

What wine could you drink if you SKIPPED the cookies, then?!?

kimber, very interesting, but I must question your use of Parkay. I am a big believer of butter, especially when it comes to baking. These are cookies, y'know? A sinful pleasure.

Thoughts?

Must agree with TJ and Marlon Brando on the butter.

NO NO NO! Butter changes everything! I will never post here again!

just kidding. My mother's been using this recipe for 20 years and I still find myself cramming multiples in my mouth every time they're made. Perhaps I'll give butter a shot, though I expect the results to be only margarine-al.

that was bad. sorry.

kimber, that was really, really baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad -- and funny!!

Seriously, try butter with a batch this year. Also, I would recommend NOT microwaving the butter, just let it soften for an hour or so at room temperature. I think you will find the results worth the wait.

Btw, Dr. Atkins says the worst food in the world is margarine. The trans fatty acids stimulate the production of bad cholesterol, known as LDL (low density lipoproteins).

Interesting Board-O. Do you know what they say about the nouveau margarines? Such as Brummel & Brown, ICBINB, etc? (B&B is my favorite spread).

My wife will (& she is pretty good) & does (when asked).

My brother (who is Really Good) is Not in such a hurry. But, 1 day, he hopes to open his own little place/restaurant. May be.

I LOVE butter, don't get me wrong, but sometimes margarine works better. Case in point is Barbequed Shrimp - New Orleans style, which is not BBQ'd at all. We accidently tried it with butter one time and ruined a batch of beautiful Louisiana shrimp. Butter burns. Not necessarily in cookies, but it does burn. Dr. Atkins can sleep through this one.

Queen-- Next time, assuming the butter is melted, mix in a little olive oil and the burning point (temp) goes way, way up/

Thank, TJ, I will remember that...can't wait to get back to the Crescent City!