Uncle Frank and his pastry blender
Our mother’s twin brother, Frank Holm, was born four minutes after she was. Although she never let him forget she was the oldest twin, therefore the boss, he continued to make her chocolate chip cookies often during her final years. Chocolate Drop, Toll House, Chocolate Chip, our mom loved all of these cookies! These cookies were welcomed, cheered and devoured rather quickly upon receiving them. We even made sure they were served at her memorial reception. I knew this was a recipe we needed to save and share.
I recently visited Frank and his wife Joan, while there I asked for the recipe. Frank modestly said, “It’s just the Crisco recipe.” After getting a copy and hearing the story, it isn’t just the Crisco recipe. Frank put his own twist on the cookies to make them Uncle Frank’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. He added cinnamon, nuts and extra chips to make them his own. The last batch he made for the family, Frank used pecans instead of walnuts. He also uses a pastry blender and not an electric mixer. While talking about the recipe we discussed using real butter instead of the Crisco Shortening. I would prefer butter and will need to do some experimenting, but here is Uncle Frank’s recipe. They are delicious!
Uncle Frank’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 stick Crisco Baking Sticks Butter Flavor – all vegetable shortening
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, heaping
- 1 whole bag of chocolate chips
- 1 cup of chopped nuts, he prefers walnuts, but the pecans were very tasty!
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat egg into creamed mixture. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Using the pastry blender, mix into creamed mixture until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (his are usually chewy!) 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.
~Susie Calhoun~
Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap. ~Barbara Jordan