Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies

Sorry the posting has been non-existent lately! Crazy times with the launch of The Ice Princess (check me out in the New York Times talking about Camilla Läckberg) and lots and lots of wedding-related balls to juggle. And since it is too hot for soup, my usual comfort food when there is too much going on, I have had to turn to something else: cookies!

I know, I know, I've said over and over again throughout this blog that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but lately I've been craving cookies like nothing else. Perhaps it has been because I've really made an effort to amp up my training for this triathlon and the marathon I've signed up for. Plus, it has been good for me to take a second and slow down and bake for a bit, getting in my miles or publicity follow-up be damned.

My favorite cookie to make recently has been the chocolate chip and walnut cookies my Po-po makes. It is a bit of an odd thing for a Chinese grandma to bake such "Americana" cookies so well, but there is a funny back-story to this recipe. My mom was in high school in Puerto Rico (after the family had left China via the Philippines and were now splitting their time between Michigan and San Juan, where the new Parke-Davis facility had opened) and her friend gave her these delicious cookies. She loved them so much that she brought some home to share and Po-po loved them so much that she insisted that my mom go back and finagle the recipe out of her friend. She succeeded, and to this day Po-po still makes these cookies to the letter of the original recipe! When she showed it to me, it was THE original recipe my mom wrote down in pencil on the notebook paper more than forty years ago.

2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups Gold Medal flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 6 oz. packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat the over to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly mix the shortening, butter, egg, sugars, and vanilla.
Blend in remaining ingredients (for a softer, rounder cookie, add 1/2 cup extra flour)
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart onto UNgreased baking sheet
Bake 8-18 minutes or until light brown
Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet

Makes about 7 dozen cookies, so go to town!!