Italian Chocolate Cookies

If you're out of walnuts, you can either omit the nuts altogether and save the money, or substitute less expensive pecan pieces. Using peanuts is even thriftier, and will yield a rocky-road-type cookie like these Italian Chocolate Cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat shortening and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg until smooth, about 30 seconds.

2. Add vanilla and milk to bowl. Beat thoroughly. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Beat well.

3. Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips and raisins with a wooden spoon.

4. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then remove and cool completely.