Grandma Jenny’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
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!
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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.”
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What is it about grandparents that is so lovely?
I’d like to say that grandparents are God’s gifts to children.
~Bill Cosby
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Oct 14 2010. Filed under Cookies, Guests.
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oh my! This is pretty much how I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for 20 years, using a combo of various chips. Also throw in a handful of PB chips, butterscotch and especially good are the Heath Toffee chips! mmmm good. I go easy on the white chocolate chips, but that’s just a personal choice. Gotta also add walnuts! Haven’t tried the bread flour – good idea. LOVE your description of how you envision “Grandma Jenny”, especially because that’s MY name, and one day (maybe within the next decade?), I’ll be such a Grandma Jenny
Thank you, Christy! The tears are going, but it’s all good!
A beautiful tribute to a special lady! I wouldn’t anything less from you, Christy! I’m having a difficult time working today . . . the only thing I want to do is sit and read Southern Plate! I made the mistake of bringing mine in to work today.
(psst . . . . I get to leave work early today so I can come meet you!)
Christy, you and Grandma Jenny just solved my 12 year old chocolate chip cookie pancake mystery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy moly – I am going to make these today! I am so excited I am dancing! Tracie
What memories! I had a Grandma Jenny, too. Not a real grandma, but a dear family friend. My Grandma Jenny wasn’t doing much baking by the time I came around, but she always had a full cookie jar. I’ve spent years trying to find a duplicate of that jar to add to my collection. When I do, it will be one of my most prized possessions, always full of cookies for my future grandchildren.
Christy,
I got my cookbook yesterday and read it cover to cover. It is so much more than a cookbook!
Thank you for your beautiful writing.
my prayer today is that i become to my grandchildren (#6) like all the great grandmothers on your website and in your wonderful book. i have ordered #10 today after reading mine from cover to cover i know you are missing your wonderful family, know that the crowder-ross family are praying for you, i have been sick and off work since February and i feel you and your followers have had a hand in “healing” me have a great day!!!! joy ross
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
What a sweet story! The cookies sound delicious.
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!!!
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!
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!
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.
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.
YEAH! I’m so excited I got your signed book from Costco!!! You make us all feel like special friends!
Thanks for all these posts. What a grand family we all are!!!
At out stores in Virginia-I don’t seem to find Unbleached Bread Flour-but I did find Unbleached Flour–will this do the same for Grandma’s Jenny Chocolate Chip cookies–would love to have a cookie that is not flat and will be soft!
Susanne – I’m the Andrea that submitted the recipe. I don’t think it matters what KIND of bread flour so long as it IS bread flour. I buy a big bag of bread flour from Sam’s Club since I also make sour dough bread that calls for it. As much as I go through, it’s cheaper that way.
I just got done making these, made a double batch. These were absolutely wonderful and the exact chocolate chip cookie recipe I have been searching for. Thank you Chrisy, Andrea and Grandma Jenny for sharing this amazing recipe.
Andrea, care to share the sour dough bread recipe with us. I love it but have never made it.
The cho chip cookie look wonderful and I’ll be sure to try it. Thanks Judy
Judy,
I would love to; however, it requires a starter that was given to my family, and I don’t know the recipe for that! You have to “feed” a concoction of warm water mixed with instant potato flakes and sugar to the starter once a week to keep it “alive.” It is easy bread to make, though. It doesn’t require any yeast and very little kneading.
Andrea
Holy Moley! I just pulled these out of the oven and OH MY GOSH! They are the best chocolate chip cookies EVER! They beat MY Grandmother’s shhhhhhh!
Thank you Christy, Andrea, and Grandma Jenny!
Kellie Belue Jordan
Florence, AL
Well I found pumpkin last night (its been very scarce in our stores) and was going to make the pumpkin crumb cake, but maybe I will make cookies instead,,, decisions decisions……
hugs jo in Oklahoma
I like simple recipes and this one is simple thank you Christy for sharing with me I have not tried them yet , but I bet they will be delicious all the recipes that I have used of yours is delicious again thank you for sharing with me .
Jean
Scottsboro , Alabama
All grandma’s are so perfect to bake chocolate cookies. That’s why I love eating cookies of my grandma! Thanks that she still bake cookies like that for us.
I have had success baking these without greasing the cookie sheet….yummy!
My favorite cookies of all is my grandma’s cookies. Second are other grandma’s cookies in the world. I know that all grandma’s are good in baking cookies especially for their grandchildren. Thanks for sharing this post. I will bake this cookies for my grandma too. Now it’s my time to bake for her.
love these cookies. Thanks for the recipe
I think I make pretty good chocolate chip cookies, but when I saw this recipe I just had to try it. These are fantastic! I might have myself a new go-to recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I was searching through your website under the desserts category and this didn’t show up. Thankfully, I then searched for “chocolate chip cookies”. I knew I remembered seeing this on here earlier.
P.S. I didn’t know about the bread flour tip. Now I know why my cookies have been flat. I will give this a try.