During the 1980s, Washington D.C. professionals would trek down to the YMCA at mid-day to get the wonderful, fresh baked cookies made from a secret recipe. The one below is the closest I have tasted to these wonderfully crunchy disks, with the soft chewy centers. It comes from an attempt by the Washington Post to copy the recipe in 1980. Give them a try--but only when you have others around to eat them.
Sift together the following:
1 1/3 cup unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Beat together these ingredients until smooth:
1/4 cup butter (if using unsalted butter add another 1/4 tsp salt)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
Mix both of these concoctions together into a dough
Add:
1/4 cup coarsely broken walnuts
1/4 cup.flaked coconut (don't leave this out)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Place 12 cookies on greased cookie sheet. I like to make between 6 and 8 larger cookies using the same amount of dough.
Bake for 10 minutes in 350-degree pre-heated oven. If making fewer, larger cookies, extend cooking time up to 15 minutes, but watch carefully.
Eat a few minutes after taking them out of the oven. Make sure friends are around to help.
