Grandma Jenny’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Grandma Jenny. Don’t you just love her already? I can’t imagine a “Grandma Jenny” being anything but kind, sweet, and good hearted with a love for children and family. That’s why when Andrea sent me a letter which included her Grandma Jenny’s recipe for her special chocolate chip cookies I knew I had to make them that very day. It was like finding treasure in my P.O. Box and I am proud to report that dear Grandma Jenny did not disappoint.
I emailed Andrea and asked if I could share her Grandma’s recipe with y’all and also asked that she tell me a little more about her. She quickly responded with the following story that really speaks to the heart of what a kind and loving woman her grandma was.
The last memory I have of my Grandma baking these cookies was when she was wheelchair bound. My mom had been staying with us (I lived with Grandma at the time), and Dad was coming to visit. Grandma wanted so badly to make cookies for her boy, but she wasn’t physically able to on her own. Mom helped her into the wheelchair and wheeled her in the kitchen so she could “help” make the cookies for my dad. Mom set the cookie sheets on the kitchen table so Grandma could drop the dough on the sheets before Mom put them in the oven for her.
I’m honored that Andrea has allowed me to bring you dear Grandma Jenny’s special cookie recipe today.
Grandma Jenny’s cookies have a special ingredient :Bread Flour. This keeps them soft and delicious. She also uses two different kinds of chocolate chips but you can just use one if you have that on hand (I’m sure Grandma Jenny would understand).
You”ll need: Bread Flour, Vanilla, Sugar, Brown Sugar, softened butter or margarine, Shortening, Egg, Baking Soda, Bit of Salt, and White Chocolate and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
Place your sugars, butter, and shortening in a mixing bowl.
Mix them up really well and add your egg and vanilla.
Then mix that up again until it looks like this.
Now add in your flour and baking soda.
and salt …
Mix it up again.
Add in your chocolate chips.
Spray your baking sheet with cooking spray.
yeah, its name brand but I had a coupon (waves at jenny from Southern Savers).
I’ve actually found that I like the nozzles better on the generic cooking spray.
Spoon your dough (I used tablespoon sized dollops) onto greased cookie sheets.
Thank you, Grandma Jenny. For sharing your love and your recipes. Andrea said she sure would be tickled if she had of seen this post about her but I feel confident we’re the lucky ones to get to read about her and sample the cookies she put so much love into.
Thank you, Grandma Jenny and Andrea 🙂
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/3 cup soft margarine
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups BREAD flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon soda
- ½ to 1 cup EACH milk chocolate and white chocolate chips she always kept hers chilled in the freezer, but it works fine even if they’re not
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, margarine, and sugars. Add in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and soda. Add chips. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they just start to brown.
- NOTE: Don't try to substitute regular flour for bread flour because the cookies won’t turn out like Grandma Jenny's. They run and flatten out to cookie “pancakes.” Oh, and unless you just really need a small batch, you might as well plan on making a double batch. One batch doesn't go very far when you have a bunch of "cookie monsters" around!
If you want to make cookie “sandwiches,” this is the creme filling recipe:
Filling:
¾ cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
7 ounces marshmallow crème
1 to 3 Tablespoons milk
I only tried it with creme filling this last spring. The filling recipe is “borrowed” from the filling for Taste of Home’s “Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies.”
What is it about grandparents that is so lovely?
I’d like to say that grandparents are God’s gifts to children.
~Bill Cosby
Submit your quote here.
I made them tonight. A double batch. They were delicious and I thought of Grandma Jenny the whole time. And how great Andrea and Christy were to share this recipe. Thank you both and God Bless Grandma Jenny.
ps I missed the ‘ grease the pan’ part and they came out fine.
What a touching story! My Grandma always had treats for her grandkids when we came to visit. My dearest memories from my childhood include my Grandmother.
Those look good! It reminds me of the last time my grandmother made cookies. She had broken her hip about 6 months before and just never really recovered and was mostly bed ridden. She could get up and walk around some with the aid of a walker but it was a rare thing when she did. When I was around 13 my mother took my brothers and I to visit and she was so excited that she was up making chocolate chip cookies. I walked in the kitchen and there she was with her walker in front of her trying to open the oven door to check on the cookies. Thanks for reminding me of this sweet memory!
My sister, Andrea, submitted Grandma Jenny’s Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. I wanted to share something about my grandma. She loved her boys. When I was engaged to my husband, she got after me for not making him lunch for a fishing trip that she had arranged for him. She said, “You need to take care of that boy. You’re going to marry him!” My husband loved Grandma Jenny! 🙂
Thanks to you and Ms. Jenny’s recipe–looks awesome especially with the filling because I have always loved getting the icing filled cookies at the mall…like I need those few extra calories–haha!!! Yummy…I want 4 signed books–3 gifts and one for me!!! I will find you sometimes in November hopefully or I can get them sent to me after you sign:)! Thanks Christy!!!
What a sweet story! The cookies sound delicious.
Christy. what is the difference between Regular flour and Bread flour.? I have always used regular flour for my bread and now I am confused. Got your book in the mail yessterday and have read it cover to cover..I love it and am anxious to try all the recipes. Thanks so much for all wonderful recipes you have posted on line……… Rosemary in Nova Scotia, Canada
bread flour is not as refined, coarser, I believe , heavier cookie which keeps them from running flat. also the 1/2 butter , 1/2 shortening , helps keep them from running flat. Jenny made so many , I have not idea how many after she revised this.
Jennys sis Peggy
thank you Andrea.
Flour is not flour. Cake flour (like Swans Down or Softasilk) is very low in protein, not that we look to flour as a main source of protein, anyway.) All purpose flour, like Gold Medal, is higher in protein. “Southern” flour, like White Lily is in-between cake flour and all purpose “Northern” flour like Gold Medal.
Bread flour is higher in protein than all of them, except for specialty bakery flours. Higher the protein, the better it is at making gluten, and gluten is an essential aspect of yeasted breads. In cookies, bread flour CONTROLS SPREADING.
Bread flour is best for: yeast breads, certain cookies (not all cookies, though!,) homemade pizza crust (So easy in a good food processor!)
Bread flour will work, but not optimally, in cakes calling for all purpose flour. Rise will be not as high, and will be a little tougher than all purpose flour.
Forget, just forget bread flour for biscuits and pie crust.
The King Arthur bread flour in the picture is the best, as far as I am concerned. I have been using it for over 10 years, and my breads are always very good, iffen I say so meself.
Christy….traveling mercies!
Lawrence, I just now saw your very informative post about the difference in flours, and I just wanted to say thanks for posting that. It is very useful in all my baking now. I copied it down and put it in my cookbook. Thanks
Barb
Can you use regular all-purpose or self rising flour? Don’t really want to buy a bag of flour just for cookies.
Can I use real butter instead of margarine? If so, should I use unsalted or salted butter?