Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I took this tray of cookies and truffles to class. The treats were well received; only a few truffles were left afterwards.

These cookies were best right out of the oven, when the melted chocolate was hot enough to burn my tongue. It's a good recipe. My cooled cookies were very crunchy, so err on the short end of the baking time if you'd like them chewier. I used chopped Guittard chocolate and pecans instead of walnuts.

I like cookies. There's not much else I can say.

Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman

16 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 egg white, at room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups flour
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate with 61-66% cocoa solids)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6oz) chopped walnuts (optional.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with oil or line with parchment.

Place the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter in color, 6-8 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg white and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes.

In a dry bowl, whisk together the baking soda, flour, and salt. Add the dry mixture, all at once, to the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold together for a few turns. With the mixer on slow speed, mix the dough until thoroughly combined, 1 minute. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and walnuts if you are using them. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds. The batter can be made up to this point and refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 4 days.

Using 2 teaspoons, scoop the dough into mounds arranged 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake until they are a light golden brown with darker coloring at the edges, 12-15 minutes. For a crunchier, darker, more caramelized cookie, bake a little longer. For even browning, rotate the cookie sheets during baking.

These cookies will keep, sealed in a container, for 3 days.