Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop.  I'm going to talk a little about my families Christmas and New Years traditions and share my favorite cookie recipe too.

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My Family Traditions

We try to get together every holiday but with 2 of my 3 sisters out of town, it can be difficult.  It's become somewhat of a tradition to celebrate Christmas with my youngest sister in town with my parents at her house, we either get together for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day brunch.  We usually have a nice ham, two different kind of potato dishes (mashed/hash browns and sweet potato), lots of crescent rolls (usually at least 40), sometimes we'll have scrambled eggs, a non-alcoholic Trader's punch to drink and then all kind of cookies and other yummy desserts to eat.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Courtesy of Crisco)

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• OR 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I sometimes cheat and add more)
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour (or whatever brand you have)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional but I love them)

To Prepare:  

1. HEAT oven to 375ºF.
2. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
3. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
4. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

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