“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands — and then eat just one of the pieces.”
You read the title correctly I did mean to say "chop" and not "chip" because these cookies are blissful but only if made with chocolate that you love. They are an investment into the cookie world that you will not regret. It doesn't matter if you are a crunchy top or soft middle cookie kind of gal (or guy) because these smooth bottom babies are going to give you the best of both worlds.
Thomas Keller does it again in his book Bouchon Bakery blending ingredients to intensify your mouth with flavor so vast you will think you are back in your Grandmother's kitchen basking in the warmth of the oven in the early morning hours as sweet chocolate scents rises up the stairs and into your nose. Of course, like many of you I am sure, I had the childhood cheater's version which consisted of plastic tubes of chocolate chip cookie dough in which eating half the dough before an adult came home was the goal. Once in a while when homemade cookies were made I managed to lick the batter from the beater until they shined as if they had been polished by my tongue. I know I am not alone in the world of cookie dough eating even if my Aunt used to say "You're gonna get worms." Why does that still ring in my head when I take a lick of the paddle? Oh, the things adults say to keep us from the soft sweetened batter...
Grab a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy your CCWC...Chocolate Chop Walnut Cookies while they're warm. Oh, and I promise not to tell anyone if you eat a little Dough...
-slightly adapted from Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery Cookbook
Ingredients
238 grams all purpose flour
2.3 grams baking soda
3 grams kosher salt
134 grams brown sugar
12 grams blackstrap molasses
104 grams granulated sugar
107 grams chopped chocolate chunks (70-72% dark chocolate)
107 grams chopped walnuts
167 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
60 grams eggs
6 grams vanilla extract
Step 1
Place flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking soda. Add the salt and whisk together. Do not skip the whisking as this aerates the flour and soda and salt to make your cookies fluffy. Place brown sugar in a small bowl and stir in the molasses and granulated sugar, breaking up any lumps; the mixture will not be completely smooth. It looks like blackened bits in the brown sugar.
Step 2
Chop up chocolate chunks into small pieces to your liking and then strain the chocolate chunks tapping the strainer to remove any powdered chocolate bits. Do the same with the walnuts. Keep these bits for a later use that you will look out for in an upcoming blog in August.
Step 3
Place the butter in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium -low speed and cream the butter. I usually do this on 3 or 4 of a kitchen aid mixer. Cream until the consistency of mayonnaise and holds peaks when the paddle is lifted. Add the molasses mixture and mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape the bowl again. The mixture may look broken, but that is fine (overwhipping the eggs could cause the cookies to expand too much during baking and then deflate).
Step 4
Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds after each, or until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that have settled there. Add the chocolate and walnuts and pulse on low speed about 10 times to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. I think it is best to do 24-48 hours but often it is hard to last that long for the cookies.
Step 5
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two sheet pans with Silipats or parchment paper. Bring the dough to room temperature before baking. Roll the dough into small balls between the palm of your hands about 75 grams each. Bake until golden brown for 16 to 18 minutes in a standard oven.
Tip
Belgian dark chocolate from Trader Joe's is a great choice for chocolate chunks
Molasses is optional but it gives fantastic flavor so wouldn't skip it
Gluten free option is to exchange the flour cup for cup with gluten free flour and if possible use duck eggs
dough can be frozen two ways-
Log shape- roll dough into a cookie log place dough log on parchment paper and wrap then wrap in foil. Mark date and degrees for baking. Bring to room temperature before baking and slice and bake as above or...
Roll dough into balls and place on baking sheet in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and place in container or ziploc bag. Again mark date and degrees for baking. Dough may be cooked frozen but will need a few extra minutes in the oven so watch carefully.