Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 . Use ungreased baking sheets. Beat the butter with both sugars until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.

Stir the flour with the salt and baking soda; stir this mixture into the batter. Stir in the nuts or fruit. Use a tablespoon to scoop out 1-1/2" globs of the dough and push onto the baking sheets, leaving 2" between the globs. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned with no obvious white spots on the tops. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

VARIATION-Substitute 12 oz semisweet chocolate morsels for the nuts or fruit.

AUTHORS NOTE-This cookie does spread and is either crisp or chewy, depending on how long it is baked. (The longer it is baked, the crisper it becomes.) Substitute solid vegetable shortening for half of the butter in the recipe and the cookie will rise higher, retaining its crisp texture. If you change the formulation to make it into a cake-like cookie, it will no longer be what is considered a chocolate chip cookie.

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