Paula Deen Three Chocolate Chip Cookies, by Steph

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt       *I use fine popcorn salt
2 teaspoons baking soda     *I used 2 1/2 tsp
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour   *I added 2 Tbls for high altitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract       *I used 1 1/2 tsp
3   large eggs
1 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1   (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
3   (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels and almond brickle chips. Drop cookies by 1/4 cupfuls about 3-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool.

*I always add extra vanilla and baking soda to my cookies because I like how the vanilla tastes and I find that the extra baking soda makes them fluffier. I also use popcorn salt because the finer salt distributes more even throughout the dough to each cookie. I also only cooked mine for 9 minutes and they came out perfectly, but each oven is different!