Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The toffee flavour from the sugar and the nutty flavour of the browned butter with the roasted nuts take these cookies to the next level.

I made about 80 cookies for our church’s college & career’s retreat last weekend and most of the cookies vanished on day one.

SERVES – Makes 40 cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour (500 grams)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/2  sticks unsalted butter (397  grams)

1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar  (250 grams) or light brown sugar

2 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large egg

2 large egg yolk

1 cup semisweet chocolate-chips or chunks 

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (toasted) 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toast the nuts for 6 – 8 minutes. Rotate the nuts half way through baking.
3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Heat  butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 to 3  minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 3 to 5 minutes.( Stay close to the stove and keep swirling. The butter will foam and it could get difficult to see the colour.)
5. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt to the saucepan with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. (Whisk for a  minute, rest for a minute and repeat it until the mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps ~5 minutes)
6.  Add eggs, yolks and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is thick, smooth and shiny about 2 minutes. 
7. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl;
8. Using rubber spatula stir in flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.
9. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, giving dough a final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
10. Divide dough into 40 portions, each about 3 tablespoons. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 15 dough balls per sheet for a 15 x 20 baking sheet. (If you are using a smaller baking sheet you will require 4 batches. 8 dough balls per sheet.)
11. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.
12. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.