Orange Chocolate Chippers

Long ago in a city far far away in another life..single, before children, when calories didn't stick to me like glue..I discovered one of the best cookies. A coworker, at the local women's shelter,  shared with me her recipe for Orange Chocolate Chippers. They are amazingly light in texture yet not lacking in flavor. Fun to make during orange season. 18 years old and still tried and true to bring big
smiles.

Orange Chocolate Chippers 

recipe shared by: Kathryn Monson

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
6 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tea vanilla
2 tea orange zest
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tea baking powder
1 tea salt
6 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Directions:
Cream: 1 cup shortening, 6 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
Add: 2 eggs, 1 tea vanilla, 2 tea grated orange peel (beat well)

Stir in: 2 cups flour, 2 tea baking powder, 1 tea salt
Add: 6 oz semi-sweet chips and 1/2 cup nuts
Bake: 350 for about 10 minutes

What I did differently:
No nuts due to allergies (drat!)
Zest from 2 whole oranges (so a bunch more than called for)
Brown sugar not packed
Very rounded 1 cup of chocolate chips
10 minutes they were not done so I added 5 minutes. The bottoms were slightly brown while the tops remained very light.

I thought they were perfect.