Name: Debra Marmor
Class Year: 1980
Country of Residence: United Kingdom

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

My husband loves chocolate and is a snack-a-holic, particularly for sweet stuff. But he’s not a great fan of nuts, except in exceptional circumstances. So the traditional Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie, which I prefer to make with pecans, has less appeal for him. Hence, I’m forever on the look-out for chocolate chip cookie recipes and these three have received 5 stars from my sweetheart.

Chocolate Chip Cookies – 3 Variations on a Theme

1. SALTED CHOCOLATE CHUNK SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Makes 24 cookies. Takes approx. 30 mins + 2 hours chilling.

Cookie dough can be stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in fridge or 1 month in freezer. Cookies can be stored in plastic wrap or airtight container for 5 days.

Ingredients:

255 grams salted butter, cold (room temp if using handheld mixer), cut into ½” pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups
170 g semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (not too fine, want chunks not little shards)
1 large egg, beaten
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Using stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer, beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high till super light and fluffy (3-5 minutes for stand mixer; 6-8 for hand mixer). 
3. Using spatula, scrape down sides of bowl; with mixer on low, slowly add flour, followed by chocolate chunks; mix just to blend. If necessary, knead dough with hands to make sure flour totally incorporated. Dough should be smooth, feel like Play-Doh with no pockets of flour.
4. Divide dough in 1/2, placing each 1/2 on large piece of plastic wrap. 
5. Fold plastic over to cover; form dough into 6” long, 2-2¼” diameter log shape 
6. Chill until totally firm, ca 2 hours. 
7. Heat oven to 350 F. 
8. Brush outside of logs with beaten egg
9. Roll in demerara sugar for really delicious, crisp edges.
10. Using serrated knife, carefully slice each log into ½”-thick rounds 
11. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1” inch apart (won’t spread much). 
12. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 
13. Bake until edges just beginning to brown, 12-15 minutes.
14. Let cool slightly before eating.

Source: Alison Roman, NYTimes.com

2. MOKONUTS’ RYE-CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE-CHUNK COOKIES

Makes 15-27 cookies. Takes approx. 30 mins + overnight chilling.

Once dough made & formed into balls, refrigerate overnight before baking. Fresh from oven, cookies are fragile; firm as cool. Will keep ca 3 days at room temp or can be frozen up to 2 months; either way, wrap well..

Ingredients:

1 cup + 1 ½ Tbsp/ 130g medium rye flour
½ cup + 2 Tbsp/ 85g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp baking soda
10 Tbsp/ 140g unsalted butter, cool room temp
½ cup/ 100g sugar
½ cup/ 100g light brown sugar
1 large egg
⅔ cup/ 80g moist, plump dried cranberries
4 oz/ 113g bittersweet chocolate, chopped in chunks
Flake salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Whisk together rye flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sea salt, baking soda; set aside.
2. Working with mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars together on medium speed 3 minutes, until blended; scrape bowl as needed. 
3. Add egg, beat 2 minutes more. 
4. Turn off mixer, add dry ingredients all at once; pulse few times to begin blending ingredients. 
5. Beat on low speed until flour almost disappears
6. Add poppy seeds, cranberries and chocolate. 
7. Mix only until incorporated; scrape bowl to bring dough together.
8. Line baking sheet lined with parchment, foil or plastic wrap. 
9. Divide dough into 15 pieces; roll each into ball; place on baking sheet. Using a mini-scoop will give you 24-27.
10. Cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. (can wrap balls airtight and freeze up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in fridge before baking.)
11. When ready to bake, center rack in oven, and heat 425 F. 
12. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. 
13. Arrange cookies on sheet, leaving 2” inches between each (work with 1/2 batch at time, keeping remaining balls in refrigerator until needed). 
14. Sprinkle each cookie with little flake salt, crushing it fingers as you do.
15. Bake cookies 10 minutes
16. Remove from oven; use metal spatula or bottom of glass to tap each cookie lightly. 
17. Let cookies rest on sheet 3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a rack. 
18. Repeat with remaining dough, always using cold dough and cool baking sheet.
19. Serve after cookies cooled ca 10 minutes, or wait until reach room temperature.

Source: Dorie Greenspan, NYTimes.com

3. WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

Makes 24-50 cookies. Takes approx. 1 hour.

Once dough made & formed into balls, refrigerate overnight before baking. Fresh from oven, cookies are fragile; firm as cool. Will keep ca 3 days at room temp or can be frozen up to 2 months; either way, wrap well..

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 heaped tsp salt
12 Tbsp (180g) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (salted is fine)

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 F. 
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
4. In large bowl, beat melted butter and sugars together with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. 
5. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
6. Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly add flour mixture until combined. 
7. Mix in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until incorporated.
8. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough at time, roll dough into even balls, lay on baking sheets, spaced ca 2” apart. Using a small scoop will give you up to 50 cookies.
9. Bake cookies until edges set, beginning to brown but center’s still soft and puffy, ca 16 minutes. 
10. Let cookies cool on baking sheet ca 10 minutes
11. Serve warm or transfer to wire rack; let cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Tessa Arias, handletheheat.com