Chocolate Chip Cookies with Lard

Directions

Makes 12-14 cookies; prep time 15 minutes, bake time 9-10 minutes, total time 1 hour 25 minutes

• 2 cups AP flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup lard, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 30 ml milk
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips (hint: for even better flavor, use half dark chocolate chunks and half large milk chocolate chips)
• Sea salt such as Fleur de sel or Maldon for finishing

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (ideally convection bake).  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; use a wire whisk to mix well, then set aside for later. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and room temperature lard.  Use an electric mixer on medium speed and combine until creamy and smooth — usually about 2-3 minutes.
3. To creamed sugar, add the egg and blend with the electric mixer until combined.  Next, add milk and vanilla extract.  Mix again until smooth; give it about 30 seconds.
4. Add half the flour mix into the bowl with wet ingredients. On a low speed, mix until it just starts to come together; scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula then add remaining flour and continue to mix on low until the dough looks uniform. Use a rubber spatula to remove any extra dough from mixing paddles. 
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top; use the rubber spatula to fold in chocolate until well distributed throughout the dough.
6. If you have a scoop, use it to fashion the dough into balls that are about 2 oz each. Place onto a parchment and greased baking tray, leaving 2-3 inches of space per cookie.  Aim to place about 8 cookies on one tray.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. 
7. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes or until light golden brown; allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. 
8. After the cookies come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle with a few flecks of sea salt.  This is an optional step but worth doing to add that extra special touch.
9. Ready for seconds?  No problem: dough can be frozen and holds up very well for up to a month.