Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Whenever I think of chocolate chip cookie recipes, I think of that one Friends episode. You know... the one where Monica is trying to figure out Phoebe's grandmother's secret family recipe. And Monica makes maybe a dozen test recipes until Phoebe finally remembers it was by a relative named Nessley Tooollhouz. And then Monica screams, "Nestle Tollhouse!" Oh man, it was a good episode. But like Monica, I, too, wanted to find that perfect cookie recipe. Desperately. Every recipe I tried (Nestle Tollhouse, Crisco, Neiman Marcus)... no matter how fresh my ingredients were or how chilled my dough was. It always came out paper thin, so I decided to take a break from baking cookies. But one day, I was watching the cookie special on Food Network and watched Ina Garten make her Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I was suddenly inspired to try again... and those Food Network Chefs just make everything look easy. 

My first batch was a little flat, but after I figured out what worked best for my oven, I started getting consistent results... and a much better looking cookie! So for those of you out there that's given up hope on making great chocolate chip cookies, please give this recipe a chance. (P.S. I hear the New York Times recipe is fantastic, but I haven't tried that one yet.)

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

recipe from Ina Garten

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks. 

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Extras

-The first time I made this recipe, I flattened the cookie dough as instructed. It resulted in a large, flat (but not paper thin) cookie. I didn't flatten it this last time, and I really liked the way it looked. Nice and fluffy, but still crispy and chewy. They are delicious either way. 

-I have used regular chocolate chips before, and I like the chunks better. 

-I used both a 1- and 2- tablespoon scoop. I preferred the way the 2 tablespoon scoop baked up (comparison pic above). 

-It tastes really good with a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Balances out the sweet!

-Ina uses this same recipe to make blondies. Just put it in an 8x12x2 pan and bake for 30 minutes.