Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have pantry envy.  I decided last month that the same pantry that's been adequately storing my food for the last 15 years was suddenly insufficient. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Soo... I devised a plan to break through the kitchen wall in order to find some more pantry space.  (Do we really need a coat closet anyway?)  I envision a giant walk in space with beautifully organized shelves and labelled bins.  #pantrygoals

I think that I was uber focused on my pantry last month because I was storing a ridiculous amount of ingredients for my holiday baking.  You'd be surprised how much flour and sugar I can go through in a week.  😬 In addition to the massive amounts of flour and sugar, I also bought and stored a LOT of meringue powder to make the royal icing for my Christmas sugar cookies.  

Although storing my dry ingredients was an issue, I never had any trouble buying meringue powder.  They sell the brand that I like on Amazon, at Wal Mart, Michaels and Jo Ann Fabrics.  It never even occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to buy it when I needed it most.  And then my meringue powder supply started to dwindle and I was forced to spend an entire afternoon running around from store to store looking for more.  😬
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​I have so many questions about this apparent shortage of meringue powder.  Most importantly, why on earth is everyone buying it and what in the world are they making? 🤷🏻‍♀️I keep a supply of meringue powder home because I use it to make the royal icing for my sugar cookies but that is the only thing that I use it for.  I'm genuinely curious about what everyone else is making with it.  

You'll be glad to know that I finally found meringue powder at a Wal Mart in Ohio. I'm still not sure why it was available there but not here.  Maybe Northerners don't use it as much as Southerners.  Do you add meringue powder to grits?  

Anywhoo... the panty project is on hold.  i've got to work up my nerve to break through the wall.  😬 I'm also not sure I'm ready to render my kitchen unusable while a new pantry is constructed either.  So while I work on building my courage to tackle that project, I'll just bake some chocolate chip cookies.  

Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups dairy free chocolate chips

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. 

Beat shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.  

Beat in eggs and vanilla. 

Gradually add flour mixture. 

Stir in chocolate chips.  (These chips are dairy free and Ahhhhmazing!)

Use a cookie scoop to make balls of dough.  

 Place on silicone baking mat. ​ Bake 10 minutes at 350.  

A really big, warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie is like a hug from the inside out.  🍪 It's comfort food at its finest and... it requires no meringue powder.  😉
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Ciao!

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