Flat + Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I test cookie recipes all the time, all sorts of recipes for all sorts of people for all sorts of occasions. It is always the chocolate chip cookie I most enjoy testing. I like them small (3-4 bites), flat and chewy. I like them with really good quality chocolate, sea salt and with fresh walnuts.

This recipe has quickly leap-frogged to nearly the top of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes, of which there are over 20. I say "nearly" because it hasn't dethroned the gold standard of chocolate chip cookie recipes. 

Bits of the dough were baked on the day, the day after, and the day after that. All samples were consumed - some right out of the oven, some warm, some room temp, some the day after or longer. The best samples came from the cookies baked the day after, and consumed warm or at room temp. A few remaining samples lasted about 4 days in a sealed container and none seemed to lose their initial charm. 

FLAT + CHEWY CHOCOLATE WALNUT COOKIES adapted from Saveur and NY Times

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 scant Tbsp sea salt, rub between hands to crush up a bit (use less salt if using table salt)
• 1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 8 oz unsalted butter, soft
• 2 eggs, room temp
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz ground bittersweet chocolate
• 8 oz ground walnuts

METHOD

Grind walnuts and chocolate in a food processor. Start with walnuts, pulse till you get small lentil sized pieces. Remove from food processor and do the same with the chocolate and set aside. Combine dries with a whisk, set aside.

Beat sugars and butter until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour mixture. Then add chocolate and walnuts until just combined. Chill. (This recipe makes 60 cookies so divide dough if you don't want to bake that many. Freeze excess dough for up to 4 weeks.)

Heat oven to 325°F / 160°C. Scoop dough with a small ice cream scoop, or into tablespoon-sized balls. Put on a lined cookie sheet and gently press to flatten a bit. Bake until just set, about 12-15 minutes. I bake them till the edges brown a bit, but the middles looked barely cooked. This ensures a chewy cookie...cook longer for a more crispy cookie. Another tip for chewy cookies is when you take them out of the oven tap the cookie sheet against the counter so the cookies "fall". Let cool a bit and enjoy.

Remember to use good quality chocolate - Valhrona Guanaja is my recommendation, and fresh walnuts.

I must warn you - I ate six cookies the first time I tried these. One right after the other.

Comments

[lisaiscooking]

Now I'm wishing I could have cookies for breakfast. I love thin and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Grinding the chocolate and the nuts sounds interesting. I have to try this!

[Account Deleted]

These look deeeelicious, I will have to try them!

[zerrin]

I love the flavor of walnut in cookies. Would be a great treat with coffee!

[OysterCulture]

I love thin chewy cookies too and chocolate + walnuts. Now we're talking. Sounds just about perfect.

[Tangled Noodle]

I have an enormous bag of walnuts that I lugged all the way to the Philippines. Now you've provided a most excellent and delicious way to use them! 8-)

Twenty chocolate chip cookie recipes? You sure know your way around CCCs!

[gastroanthropolgist]

Tangled Noodle - And that's only the recipes I've decided that I would make again!

[5 Star Foodie]

These cookies look totally scrumptious!

[lisa]

Bittersweet chocolate + walnuts = perfect cookie. I love my ccc thin and chewy on the inside, just like these. RIght up my alley!

[Sophie]

Oooh lalala,...those cookies look like real winners!

I would totally devour 7 of them! hahaha!

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[Lori]

Chewy is my kind of chocolate chip cookie! Thanks for the warning on these. I may wait to make them until after the Valentine treats have subsided. :)

[The Duo Dishes]

The king of cookies you say. Hmmmm, looks like we need to try them. The ground nuts are great. Have you ever added ground oats to your cookies? That is also a nice touch.

[gastroanthropolgist]

Duo Dishes - Yes, love adding ground oats to cookies and homemade bread! I like to toast the oats for a few minutes before when using them in cookie recipes.

[cheffresco]

Haha this made me laugh. =) They look delicious! I especially wanna try them since they jumped so high on your cookie list!