Kirsti's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my friend Kirsti's recipe. Everyone who knows Kirsti knows that she makes the best cookies ever. When we lived near each other, I never bothered getting the recipe because she would bring them to everything. She must make a couple batches a day. Honestly, everyone loves these cookies. The secret is not the ingrdients, but the technique. I made these over and over before I finally got the technique right. The hand mixing is crucial. Many people have this recipe, but if you do not follow the details, they will not turn out right.

1 cup margarine, softened (you CANNOT used butter)

1 cup sugar

1 cup DARK brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

A pinch of salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix BY HAND (this is a must) the margarine and sugars, until just blended. Mix in one at a time until just blended with each addition, do not over mix: vanilla, soda, salt, flour, chocolate chips.

Scoop in half-a-golf-ball size balls and place 12 on a cookie sheet with either a silpat cover or a single sheet of paper bag or parchment paper. Do not bake directly on cookie sheet. Only bake one sheet at a time on the top rack. Bake at 340 for 13 minutes. Yield: about 4 dozen