Potbelly Chocolate Chip Cookies

With Christmas only 11 weeks away, holiday baking is just around the corner. Why not add another recipe to your repertoire?

In search of a thick chip cookie, I scoured blogs, cookbooks, and cookie “tips” until I settled upon the following recipe. It is a hybrid of Levain Bakery Copycat recipes, Allrecipes cookie baking guidelines, and an attempt to save a little cash by sticking with the basics. You’ll find no nuts, oats, or extra chips in these cookies. Having that said, these hulking cookies are delicious. These aren’t the dainty, crisp thins that break when stuffed into the cookie jar. On the contrary, the cookies are hefty; thick and cakelike with a hint of chewiness, and a crisp shell that snaps at the bite. The recipe could easily make a huge cookie “cake,” cookie pops, or large mound cookies. I flattened mine to make an excessive quantity, but if left to their own devices, these cookies bake up large and in charge, practically retaining 100% original pre-oven shape. The size of these goodies make them bake-sale sellouts!
*Note: I left the recipe in the original colossal form to accomodate high-volume holiday baking needs.

Yields 110-3″cookies
2c. margarine
1c. shortening
2 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. honey
2t. vanilla extract
6 eggs
8 1/2 c. flour
3 t. salt
3 t. baking powder
3/4 t. soda
2T. corn starch
5 c. chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream by hand margarine, shortening, honey, vanilla, and sugars to achieve uniform consistency. Beat in eggs.
2. Combine all dry ingredients and slowly incorporate into the fats and sugars. 
3. Pour in chips, stir to distribute evenly, and cover bowl with cellophane. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375F and arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven
5. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray and place golfball sized scoops of dough onto sheets, leaving one inch between cookies. Flatten with palms or a glass dipped in sugar to desired size. Bake 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets from upper to lower rack and giving them a 189 degree spin midway through baking.
6. Remove immediately from cookie sheets and allow to cool. Serve with a tall glass of milk or hot cocoa.