Chewy and Decadent Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

February 7, 2009.   4 Comments.   Categories Comfort Food, Cookies from Home, Desserts.  

Chewy and Decadent Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

What is better than fresh from the oven chocolate chip or chunk cookies?  The chewier… the better.  This recipe won’t disappoint you if you’re looking for that ideal cookie….

Ingredients:

2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted, melted butter (then cooled)

1 1/2 cups packed golden brown sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp real vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

3/4 cups broken gourmet semi-sweet chocolate bars (or 2 cups commercial chocolate chips or chunks)  I prefer Michel Cluizel 72% bars (you can find a great selection at Whole Foods)

3/4 cups broken gourmet dark chocolate bars (broken into very small pieces)

Directions:

Place oven rack in the middle (or lower middle) of the oven.  Preheat oven to 325.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  In a sauce pan on VERY low heat, melt the butter slowly.  Set aside and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the melted (and cooled) butter and sugars together with a mixer – medium speed (approx 2 minutes) Beat in the egg, york and vanilla until smooth.  You want to mix it long enough that the blend starts to lighten in color and looks like it’s beginning to whip (about 3 minutes).

Place mixer on the lowest speed and very slowly add the flour mixture a small amount at a time… approximately 1 minute.  Do not over mix.. just do this enough to blend the flour. Pour in the chocolate chunks or chips and stir with a spoon until well-incorporated.  If using nuts, add them here and blend with a spoon. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Take approximately 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll the dough into well-formed balls.  Lay them on the baking sheets about 1.5 to 2 inches apart.  Bake the cookies for 7 minutes.. then rotate the cookie sheet.  Bake another 7-12 minutes.  The edges should just barely begin to brown.  The center will look puffy.

Remove the baking sheet and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to allow the cookies to completely cool.  Enjoy!

Friends Garr and his son Liam enjoying a fresh batch of these while these boys were at Monster Truck Jam . . . little boy heaven!

Shipping Overseas:  Cookies with chocolate chips are not recommended during the hottest months in Iraq as chocolate may melt.

• Don’t pack crisp and soft cookies together: the moisture from the soft cookies will seep into the crisp cookies, making them lose their delightful crunch.

• Don’t overstuff your container. Your cookies may be damaged. Likewise, don’t under-pack your container. The cookies should fit snugly. If you have too much space, crumple up a bit of tissue paper to fill the holes.

• Individually wrap your cookies with saran wrap to keep them moist.

• Pack your tin or container in a heavy-duty cardboard box that’s large enough to allow a two- to three-inch cushion between the tin and the wall of the outside box.

• Place a layer of shipping peanuts, air-popped popcorn, or crumpled paper on the bottom of your shipping box. Set your cookie tin on this bottom layer. Then fill in the sides and top with more shipping materials.

• Seal the shipping box with heavy-duty shipping tape. Place a mailing label on the box, and you’re ready to send those treats on their way.

• Readers have also recommended using coffee cans or empty Pringles containers for shipping cookies.  Another reader suggested suggested packaging them in styrofoam and chill packs.  Layer each cookie in plastic bags and then wrap in newspaper.

Please check with your post office as they will also have excellent shipping suggestions.