THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

When a recipe calls itself "the best," it always raises some questions. But since this recipe came from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook (HarperCollins 2001), a cookbook compiled of recipes from some of the San Francisco Bay Area's top pastry chefs, that claim piqued our interest.

After testing, we agree that these are darn good cookies. Since we do not currently offer either chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, we recommend using our 62% Cacao Semisweet Home Baking Bar. Together with a special product called a chipper, you can make your own chocolate chunks for these cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 ssticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (approximately 8 ounces), try either our 62% Cacao Semisweet or our 70% Cacao Bittersweet
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted nuts (your favorite), optional

Method

Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl.

Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and blend well; scrape the bowl again. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just mixed; scrape down the bowl. Add the chocolate and optional nuts and mix until incorporated into the dough.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake, switching the position of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown but the centers seem slightly underdone, about 13 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookies will be crisp throughout instead of chewy. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. The cookies will crinkle as they cool. (Store at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 1 week.)

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