Blue Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a lot of cookbooks.  I feel like I could REALLY add to that library.  But the other day I walked past some of my books and stopped to look at the section of books that are all chocolate.  Those are sure some delicious looking books to gawk at!  I opened up The Great Book of Chocolate, by David Lebovitz.  The book is slender and thin, but full of everything you’d ever want to know about chocolate and has some great recipes as well.  Naturally, I was drawn to the chocolate chip cookies—Blue Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies.

David mentioned that this is an authentic recipe written on bakery letterhead from the Blue Chip Cookies bakery that used to be at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco.  He said the recipe is supersecret, but here it is.  Because of its authenticity, I followed the recipe exactly.  Sometimes I actually alter recipes slightly because we live in a high altitudes, but this time I thought I’d see how it turned out as written.  I was afraid the cookies would be flat and crispy, but they turned out perfectly thick and chewy!

I have my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, which will probably always stand as a favorite.  I try others and while even these Blue Chip cookies are great, we all here still like “my favorite” the best.  That said, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Blue Chip Cookies turned out.  I decided to share this recipe because I like that it is make with cold butter.  I’ve had friends and family “complain” to me over the years that their cookies always turn out flat and they can never figure out why.  I tell them it could be too soft butter.  People also say they weren’t able to make cookies because they forgot to take the butter out of the fridge so it could soften up and come to room temperature.  Well, there’s no excuse now!  (And just a tip, you can always nuke a stick of butter for 10-20 seconds, I usually do 13-15 seconds, and it will take just the right amount of chill off to be perfect for baking.  You can also soak an egg, still in the shell, in hot water for 5 minutes to have a room temperature egg. 

Well, here’s your chance to make a great cookie with butter right out of the fridge!  I think I’ve tried a similar recipe before.  These cookies are also baked in the top 1/3 of the oven at a much lower temperature for a longer time than most cookies.  Well, whatever the case, it works for these.  Give them a try!  You know, I prefer chocolate chip cookies to have nuts, but since so many don’t like nuts, I usually leave them out.  But this Blue Chip recipe called for nuts, so sticking with the exact recipe, I added them this time.  I gave the option of walnuts or pecans.  I used pecans.  I’m only printing the recipe because it’s other places online as well.  But if you’re looking for more, any or all information about chocolate, get David’s book, The Great Book of Chocolate.  (I love that David gives all the amounts in his recipes in cups and grams!  Weigh your ingredients if you can, you’ll also get better, more accurate results.)

Blue Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies, by David Lebovitz, The Great Book of Chocolate, from Blue Chip Cookies

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick or 115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1  1/4 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 cups (200 grams or 9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips—my favorite)

1 cup (130 grams) toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped (I used pecans)

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven.  Heat to 300 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  **While the oven is preheating, put the nuts on one of the baking sheets and toast them for 10 minutes (the oven is on low, so adjust the time according to how much you like the nuts toasted).**—This is my way of toasted nuts.  --Katrina

Beat the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer until well combined and smooth.  Mix in the egg, vanilla and baking soda.   Stir together the flour and salt, then mix it into the batter, just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and put 8 balls of dough on each baking sheets, leaving a couple inches of space between each.  Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

 These are great cookies!  I stuck most of them in the freezer for a picnic we’re going to tomorrow.  I was asked to bring dessert. 

Next from this book, I’m going to make the Chocolate Fitness Cake—with only three ingredients, it’s pretty healthy---cocoa, egg whites and a little bit of sugar, baked like a souffle.  Sounds good!