(My Favorite Recipe—from Sunset)
I’ve been making this for more than two decades and have made some changes along the way. Please see notes at the end of the recipe. Many changes I have incorporated into the recipe below.

1 cup solid shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 extra-large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed!!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (I use Quaker Oats brand.)
2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 large packages (12 oz. each) semisweet chocolate chips–that’s about 4 cups [Note: I use 2 cups of regular semisweet chocolate chips, and 2 cups of Guittard Semi-Sweet Maxi Baking Chips, or similar. Sometimes I use the dark chocolate version.]
2 cups chopped walnuts

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat shortening, butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar at high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.

Add oats.  Mix together soda, salt, whole wheat flour, cinnamon.  Beat into creamed mixture until well combined; add rest of flour until dough is not too sticky when you pick up bit with your fingers.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

For each cooky, drop a scant 1/4 cup dough on a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart.  If you have one, use a cookie scoop, about 2-inch size.

Line one cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out all the dough onto the cookie sheet, letting each scoop touch each other. Cover. Freeze, or give it a heavy chill in the freezer. When ready to bake, line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place cookie balls about 3″ apart. I can get about 12-15 on one cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 oven for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.  (If they are just out of the freezer, it may take longer.) Remove from oven and set on a rack; let cool for 2 minutes (approx.). Grabbing the edge of the parchment paper, slide the cookies onto a wire rack, and let cool.  Makes about 3 dozen large cookies.

*Note: if you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can use all white (all-purpose) flour.