“CHOCK FULL O’ NUTS” CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Cookies with chocolate chips. Numerous studies have been done on white sugar to brown sugar, cake flour vs. all-purpose, and the infamous “to chill or not to chill?” mystery. Perhaps even a tender anecdote from my childhood can be woven into my thoughts about the chocolate chip cookie’s special place in my heart with a tender anecdote from my childhood.
My focus today is on the glory that is…the chocolate chip cookie from the store-bought bakery.
Then listen to me. Commercial bakers in supermarkets and warehouse stores like Costco and BJ’s produce cookies stuffed with processed fats and oils, refined sugar, and generic chocolate. While at the same time, they’re just plain awesome.
Chewy, stuffed full of chocolate pieces, and have a little crunchy edge to contrast with the molten centers, which—despite having cooled—magically retain their original texture through the terrible but undoubtedly delicious hocus pocus of shortening and hydrogenated oil mixes.
In our local grocery shop, the same scenario played out again today. But instead of merely slinking away and buying my weekly supply of vegetables, I decided to act.
On the other hand, my chocolate chip cookies lacked a certain something.
The circumstance necessitated a more noteworthy response. Specifically—nuts. But not just any old walnuts or pecans will do.
Pistachio, pecan, chocolate-covered almonds, and chocolate chip cookies would be an alternative. These are Chock Full O’ Nuts Chocolate Chip Cookies, and you’ll be tingling with eagerness to eat one by the time you’re done baking them—trust me.
Let’s get this party started!
INGREDIENTS:
- ¾ cup of pistachios(chopped)
- ¾ cup of whole pecans
- ¾ cup of chocolate covered almonds
- 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
- 2-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp. of baking soda
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
- 1 cup of butter (2 sticks; softened)
- 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- 2 pcs. of eggs
- ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse all the nuts until they are finely minced in a food processor. Having a few large chunks left is fine.
- The oats should be processed in a food processor until they resemble fine flour. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl.
- Lightly whip the butter and sugars with an electric mixer (if you’re lucky) or a whisk/brute force for about three minutes, or until they’re light and fluffy in texture. Beat in the eggs until each has been added, one at a time. Mix the dry and wet ingredients in two batches, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
- Finally, whisk in some extra chocolate chips to ensure that they are uniformly distributed in the mixture.
- Small cookies should be baked for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges using a tablespoon of cookie dough dropped on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Drop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough (I used a regular ice cream scoop) and bake for 12-14 minutes for large cookies. The time was a little erratic for me. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through the baking time and keep a close eye on them! Remove the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.