I use the toll house receipe, but my cookies are always thin. (spread alot). This doesn't matter whether I freeze or chill the dough. I use a scoop to place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. I usually use 1/2 margarine and 1/2 butter. If I used shortening, would that make a difference? I would just like a cookie that is more round and thicker. NOt real thick 1/2 in would be nice. Any ideas. I do bake at 350 in a convection oven.

I used a recipe off the back of a bag last night, not Toll House but another chip I had in the house. The first batch spread so I added a little more flour to the recipe and the rest came out puffy and thicker.

you should definitely go to foodnetwork and look at the differences between Alton Brown's 3 cookies... thin/crispy, chewy and ... I don't remember the other one. It's from the episode "3 cookies for sister Marsha" (or something similar to that)

But, you can see from the differences in the recipe why they have different textures. If I remember correctly, the amount of flour, type of fat, and type of sugar all play a part. As does the temperature, I believe....

I will SWEAR they've changed the recipe or something because the cookies from that recipe today are not the good, puffy cookies I had as a kid.

I tried to tweak and modify that recipe to try to get them NOT to spread and be paper thin, and finally just gave up. That's when I came up with my own recipe.

I grew up on the Toll House recipe cookies, but I'll never ever make them again.

I thought it was me...I made them for Christmas for my DH work party~ended up pouring the rest of the mix in a pan and making like brownies with them!

I'm in a sharing mood http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2006/04/levain

I can't stand thin chocolate chip cookies. I like bakery style! Take the time to read through the whole thing, but about halfway down is what the author thinks is the perfect ratio of butter to flour for this type of chocolate chip cookie. I like a thick, chewy cookie, but not so thick that the cookie tastes like flour or is almost raw in the middle and not so huge that I can't eat for the rest of the day (I think I use a #24 scoop, then I pull the ball of dough apart to expose the chips - they get packed toward the center when you scoop). You'll probably still want to tweak it (I know I did), but I think this is a great start.

I saw the Alton Brown show and was totally thinking of that! lol Cheeseball - thanks for the link! I'm always wanting to see what other bakers do to tweak and improve recipes!

Using all butter (or margarine or a mix of both) will give you a thinner, crisper cookie. You can use a mix of shortening and butter or all shortening. Also, add an extra egg yolk to your batter. Using brown sugar instead of white will also give you a little bit thicker, chewier cookie.

Hi, I guarantee this recipe will work. It is the best chocolate chip cookie one can make in a home oven. I kept the dough in refrigerator for 2 days, and they still came out perfect. Use the best chocolate you can afford.
You can find two recipes, one on Martha's site, and one on NY Times Magazine's site, they are both the same. The difference is the one on Martha's site makes a bigger batch and you'll have more cookies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=2&pagewanted=print

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.aced15a43a1d10e593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=6a793a413eb82110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=c3c60eb74ce5f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=print¤tslide=1&page=1

This review is on the NY Times site, I find it helpful and thought you might find it interesting too --->
In Torres' bakery (and top bakeries all over NYC), he lets the dough refrigerate for a few days; the article which features a similar recipe to the one above recommends refrigeration of 36-72 hrs. This allows for the liquids (eggs) to be fully absorbed in the dough - which makes it firmer and bake more consistently. I would highly recommend trying it - it makes a huge difference!
Good luck, and enjoy the cookies.