Cooking Lesson #223: 4x-Threat Chunky Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? From the archives of the Choclatique website, here is one of our best cookie recipes—in fact, and I’m going out on a limb here, it’s the best damn cookie I’ve ever eaten EVER. It was inspired by the original Toll House formulation, but considerably amped up with four kinds of chocolate chips and chunks.
 
Ever since Ruth Graves Wakefield and her chef Sue Brides invented the original Toll House cookie back in 1933 bakers have been trying to improve on the original. The Toll House Inn was in Whitman, Plymouth County. It was about halfway between Boston and New Bedford and a safe place to stop. It was a place where passengers had historically paid a toll, changed horses, and ate a home-cooked meal. When the Wakefields opened their business, they named the establishment the Toll House Inn. Ruth cooked and served all the food and soon gained local fame for her lobster dinners (yum) and desserts (yum, yum). People from across the region visited the Toll House. Her chocolate chip cookies soon became very popular.
 
I can tell you from personal experience, the original recipe is hard to beat—well, that is until now. And I’m not sure whether we’ve improved on the original or invented a totally new type of chocolate chip, chocolate cookie. To my taste most any cookie is good, and these cookies are exceptional. They are loaded with lots of chocolate flavors, have a wonderful texture and they are simple to make.
 
Large or small, these 4X chocolate chunky cookies are a little crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. For best results, refrigerate the batter for up to 48-hours before baking, as this allows the dough to fully form a mature well-blended flavor and texture.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Refrigerate time:  1 hour up to 48 hours
Bake time:  10 to 12 minutes
Cool time:  30 minutes
Yield: 12 large cookies
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if clumpy
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
 
Directions

1. Combine and beat the brown sugar, butter, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy, forming a deep brown mixture.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixture lightens and becomes soft and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until mostly incorporated but leaving some white traces of flour.
5. Using a spatula, fold in the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate chips and chunks.
6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours to let the flour re-hydrate and the flavors to blossom.
7. When ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
8. Divide cold dough into 2 1/4-ounce round, flattened portions and place them on a Silpat or parchment-lined sheet pan with at least 2-inches between. These cookies spread when they bake.
9. Bake until the edges start to brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not over bake; the centers will not look fully done until the cookies are cool.
10. After 5 minutes out of the oven, carefully transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack.
11. Cool until cookies are completely set, about 30 minutes.

ChefSecret:  For extra-large, flying saucer-sized cookies, divide the dough into just 5 portions and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Attention, Attention, your Nose and Mouth are now considered ‘Private Parts.’ Keep them covered until further notice.”
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