Hersheys' Chocolate Symphony Cookie

This cookie I designed for myself ! OOOOH BOY, Dark Chocolate, Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, the Crunch of Slivered Almonds & Heath Toffee Bits. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, do you get the idea that I LOVE Hersheys' Symphony Candy Bars ? Oh Boy do I & I wanted that from a cookie. Here is what I came up with for the answer. This cookie DEMANDS that you sit down, relax, grab a glass of cold milk & ENJOY them! I did & I hope that you will too !

1 & 1/3 cup Shortening
1 & 1/3 Cup Softened Butter
2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
3 Tsp Almond Extract, or 4 Tsp Vanilla you choose I wanted more almond flavor.
5 Cups Flour
1 Cup Cocoa ( I used Hersheys' Special Dark Cocoa Powder) if you like milk chocolate use regular cocoa!
2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Salt
12 oz Chocolate Chips ( I used Semi-Sweet) if using regular cocoa use milk chocolate chips!
1 Cup Slivered Blanched Almonds
8 oz. Heath English Toffee Bits O' Brickle Bits

Cream Shortening with butter, add sugars & beat fluffy. Add eggs & flavoring & beat until light & fluffy. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt together. Slowly beat into your creamed mixture. By the time you get over half of the flour mixture beaten into the creamed you will have to stir in the rest by hand. Stir well until all is incorporated into the batter. Now stir in the chocolate chips, almonds & brickle bits. Distribute them evenly. Chill dough.
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment if you prefer. I use parchment & love how the cookies slide off the sheets & you have amazingly easy clean-up! You may drop cookies right onto your cookie sheets if you wish. Bake between 10 & 12 minutes. Cookie should be lightly puffed up. Remove from oven & let cool on your baking sheets for a minute. Remove from sheet & let finish cooling ! This recipe makes 10 dozen medium sized cookies 3 inches across . You might wish to cut this recipe in half but I like to make big batches of good cookies to have plenty to give away & serve guest with a FEW left just for me ! Store in an airtight container. These keep very well !